Inspiration

Art inspires me. That is, art in the broadest sense. Art as in fashion, painting, music, architecture, and writing.

The importance of art often comes in its absence. On February 11 the world lost one of the most innovative fashion designers, and I lost one of my biggest inspirations, Lee Alexander McQueen.

Lee McQueen put everything he had into his work. His shows were a spectacle, his clothes impeccable. McQueen transformed dress-making and design into living art. Perhaps his best work came in the last two years of his career after the suicide of his dear friend Isabella Blow. His work took a turn for the magnificent; darker, more pointed. His best show was his 2009 Fall RTW line "The Horn of Plenty" where models walked around a heap of black painted trash wearing creations in black, white, and red with exaggerated houndstooth patterns and both geometric and luxurious silhouettes. Models wore their faces painted white with large painted-on black and red lips, bird-cages, umbrellas, and headdresses of recyclable materials adorned their heads. Though often outrageous, his designs were always well made and reflective of the story he wanted to tell.

McQueen's last runway took place a few months ago when we debuted his Spring 2010 RTW line "Plato's Atlantis". The show was his reflection on Global Warming and life in a water world. The clothes and shoes were reptilian, often looking like distorted animal skin and adorned with scale-like embellishments. Models walked the runway while moving cameras captured their movements, projecting them on the large screen behind them as well as to viewers online. The message was made in blue and green structured garments with unique, intricate, and abstract patterns. Also mind boggling are the shoes new to the line, especially the metal industrial pump and lobster claw shoe. His designs were also given new life being worn head to toe by Lady Gaga in her "Bad Romance" music video as well as at the Video Music Awards.

Though the McQueen brand will live on after its creator's death the clothes and vision will never be the same. What Lee McQueen did will live on and be inspiration to designers and artists for years in the future. His unique and revolutionary look at fashion and life and how he brought them together will forever be inspiration.

You don't have to love fashion to appreciate what he did, watch his shows at alexandermcqueen.com click on "experience" then view runway shows from the past.