British fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, the original creative engine behind the Alexander McQueen label, was beloved for his expert tailoring and theatrical runway shows. After his suicide in 2010, fans left tributes to the man and his talents outside Alexander McQueen boutiques worldwide. Record-breaking crowds visited the posthumous retrospective of the designer’s work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Victoria and Albert in London.
The inspirations for vintage Alexander McQueen bags, dresses, jackets and other items came from many quarters — film, music, current events, history, his heritage and fashions of the past. The designer's runway presentations were not just displays of clothing but were personal expressions of the zeitgeist, often touching on our cultural anxieties and concerns. McQueen’s own thoughts and feelings about love, death, gender, genocide, colonialism, global warming and the extinction of species all appear in his pieces.
McQueen certainly shook up fashion; he was a born Rottweiler. His upbringing on a council estate in north London played a part, but his family was close and supportive, not dysfunctional. He was proud of his Scottish heritage: He was a defiant fashion warrior. His historical themes and shows — such as “Highland Rape,” 2002, which was inspired by England’s “rape of Scotland,” as McQueen called it — always invoked powerful reactions from his audience of fashion pros.
“What you see in the work is the person himself. And my heart is in my work,” McQueen told Harper’s Bazaar in 2007.
It is perhaps this heart, and the heart’s exposure, that drew the crowds and made McQueen's creations both popular and emotionally resonant. Because the work was personal and thus layered with feeling, the motifs — decorative embellishments and fabric choices — have meaning. In other words, in McQueen’s oeuvre, plaid is more than simply a pattern.
Find vintage Alexander McQueen fashion and accessories — including the designer's coveted bags and comfortable, stretchy jersey knit dresses and gowns — on 1stDibs.
Alexander McQueen Python Knuckle Duster Box Clutch
By Alexander McQueen
Located in PARIS, FR
An extraordinary creation from the final years of Alexander McQueens lifetime, this Knuckle Box Clutch represents the height of his craft. Made from genuine python skin, the surface ...
Alexander McQueen Embellished Skull Clutch
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Montgomery, TX
Alexander McQueen Embellished Skull Clutch – Gilded Glamour with Gothic Edge A dazzling fusion of artistry and attitude, this Alexander McQueen clutch is a show-stopping statement p...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN c.2013 Gold Glitter Leather Metal Knuckle Ring Duster Clutch
By Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Circa: 2013 Designer: Sarah Burton Manufacturer Style Name: Skull Four Ring Clutch Style: Clutch Handbag Color(s): Shades of gold, brown Lined: Yes Unmarked Fabric Content (feel of): Leather (lining), metal (hardware) Additional Details / Inclusions: Alexander McQueen circa 2013 knuckle ring duster box clutch. Long rectangular hardshell box exterior. Gold metallic glitter exterior. Large gold-toned metal skull and gemstone feature ring clasp at top of bag; gold-toned metal hardware around opening of bag. Four knuckle-ring sculpted skull hardware embellished with crystals; single large clear gemstone ring detail. Single long interior compartment. Brown leather interior lining with “Alexander McQueen Made In...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN c.2013 Metallic Oil Slick Leather Knuckle Ring Duster Clutch
By Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Circa: 2013 Designer: Sarah Burton Manufacturer Style Name: Skull Four Ring Clutch Style: Clutch Handbag Color(s): Shades of gray, purple, green, yellow, blue Lined: Yes Unmarked Fabric Content (feel of): Leather (exterior/lining), metal (hardware) Additional Details / Inclusions: Alexander McQueen circa 2013 knuckle ring duster box clutch. Long rectangular hardshell box exterior. Leather exterior; metallic multicolor oil slick design on outside of bag. Large gunmetal-toned metal skull and gemstone feature ring clasp at top of bag; gunmetal-toned metal hardware around opening of bag. Four knuckle-ring sculpted skull hardware embellished with crystals; single large clear gemstone ring detail. Single long interior compartment. Burgandy leather interior lining with “Alexander McQueen Made In...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN c.2012 Black Leather Spine Bones Embossed Oversized Clutch Bag
By Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN c.2012 Black Leather Spine Bones Embossed Oversized Clutch Bag Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Circa: 2012 Designer: Sarah Burton Style: Oversized Clutch Bag Color(s): Black; Shades of Gold (hardware) Lined: Yes Unmarked Fabric Content (feel of): Leather (exterior); Twill fabric (interior); Metal (hardware) Additional Details / Inclusions: Alexander McQueen circa 2012 Black leather skeletal embossed oversized leather clutch...
Alexander McQueen Skull Crystal Knuckle Detail Leather Slash Bag
By Alexander McQueen
Located in London, GB
Alexander McQueen Skull Crystal Knuckle Detail Leather Slash Bag Black shoulder bag/clutch bag crafted from smooth lambskin and calfskin leather with a padded construction. Designe...
Alexander McQueen Skull Leopard Print Pony Hair Box Clutch Bag
By Alexander McQueen
Located in London, GB
We Adore - Alexander McQueen Skull Leopard Print Pony Hair Box Clutch Bag Box frame silhouette clutch bag crafted from pony hair calfskin in leopard print. Adorned with the br...
Alexander McQueen OBSESSION Leather Pouch Purse
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Berlin, BE
A stunning object with the mood of a Victorian curiosity cabinet, this Alexander McQueen leather pouch / phone - pouch turns utility into dark romance. Cut in structured black textured leather and suspended from a silver chain, it has the proportions of a modern small bag to be used for wallet or phone or lipstick, yet the attitude of a talisman: part accessory, part amulet, part gothic keepsake. Across the surface, McQueen’s familiar language of beauty and mortality unfolds in miniature. A cobalt dragonfly gleams like a jewel against the black ground, while the butterfly motif below reveals a skull-like apparition within its wings: delicate, macabre, unmistakably McQueen. The flash of scarlet lining gives the piece a private, almost anatomical intensity, as though the darkness has been opened to reveal something vividly alive. Rich in symbolism, it belongs to that McQueen universe where nature is never merely pretty: insects become omens, decoration becomes drama, and luxury carries a faint, thrilling sense of danger. Alexander McQueen “Obsession...
Alexander McQueen minaudiere bag
By Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Alexander McQueen
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN -(Made in Italy) Shiny purple and green mink minaudiere bag with a clip fastener on a silvery metal rigid frame topped with a rhinestones skull. A Collection under ...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN c.2008 "Flapper Novak" Black Leather Large Clutch Purse Bag
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN c.2008 "Flapper Novak" Black Leather Large Clutch Purse Bag Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Circa: 2008 "Flapper Novak" D...
Gucci by Tom Ford Grey Mink Fur Dragon Evening Mini Clutch / Bag, fw 2004
By Gucci, Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in London, GB
▪ Archival Gucci Mink Fur Evening Mini Clutch / Bag ▪ Creative Director: Tom Ford ▪ Fall-Winter 2004 ▪ These evening mink fur mini bags featured in the final segment of Tom Ford's la...
Gucci by Tom Ford brown carved wooden bag with braided leather strap, fw 2002
By Gucci, Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in London, GB
Gucci by Tom Ford brown carved wooden mini box bag with braided leather strap Fall-Winter 2002
Margiela artisanal black leather glove top, ss 2001
By Maison Martin Margiela
Located in London, GB
Martin Margiela, iconic artisanal glove top made from an assortment of vintage leather gloves. Halter neck, open back with snap button closures....
Alexander McQueen python and silk organza mini dress, ss 2006
By Alexander McQueen
Located in London, GB
▪ Alexander McQueen python and silk organza mini dress ▪ Python bodice and flap skirt ▪ Accordion pleated silk organza mini skirt ▪ Built-in ...
Christian Dior by John Galliano purple velvet and crystal mini bag, c. 1998
By John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian Dior
Located in London, GB
▪ Christian Dior mini evening bag ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Crushed purple velvet with signature 'Cannage' quilting ▪ Silk handles and interior ▪ Four 'DIOR' silver charms ado...
Alexander McQueen silk animal print beaded off shoulder evening dress, fw 2004
By Alexander McQueen
Located in London, GB
▪ Alexander McQueen silk evening dress ▪ Brass beaded bands with amber stones ▪ Long full sleeves gathered at the top and cuffs ▪ Montage animal print ▪ Floor-length skirt ▪ IT 4...
The designer combined his Savile Row training with his fascination with Victorian jewelry to create a most alluring piece.
A striking tartan ensemble from the late designer’s celebrated (and controversial) Fall/Winter 2006 collection is equal parts tailored and punk.
