Alexander McQueen (fashion house) facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Traded as | Euronext: KER FP |
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Alexander McQueen |
| Headquarters |
London
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England
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Key people
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Gianfilippo Testa (CEO) Seán McGirr (creative director) |
| Parent | Kering |
Alexander McQueen is a famous British luxury fashion house. It was started by the designer Alexander McQueen in 1992. This company is known for its unique and artistic clothing.
After Alexander McQueen passed away in 2010, Sarah Burton became the main designer. She held this important role until 2023. Gianfilippo Testa has been the chief executive officer since March 2022. Seán McGirr took over as the creative director in October 2023. The brand creates special haute couture (custom-made fashion) and ready-to-wear clothes. They also make high-quality leather bags, shoes, and other accessories.
Contents
History of the Fashion House
The Alexander McQueen brand began in 1992. Its early fashion collections were known for being bold and surprising. This earned Alexander McQueen nicknames like "l'enfant terrible" (the terrible child). He also created trousers called "bumsters".
McQueen's fashion shows were always grand and unusual. For example, his Spring 2003 collection featured a recreated shipwreck. In Spring 2005, he staged a human chess game. His Fall 2006 show, Widows of Culloden, included a life-sized hologram of supermodel Kate Moss. In his career, McQueen designed 36 collections for his own label.
Awards and Recognition
Alexander McQueen won "British Designer of the Year" four times. This was between 1996 and 2003. He was also honored as a CBE. In 2003, the Council of Fashion Designers named him International Designer of the Year.
Growth and Expansion
In December 2000, the Gucci Group bought 51% of his company. They made him the Creative Director. After this, new stores opened in major cities like London, Milan, and New York. The brand's fashion shows moved from London to Paris. This started with the Spring/Summer 2002 collection.
Alexander McQueen launched its first menswear collection in Spring/Summer 2005. These collections are still shown during Milan Fashion Week. The company also started its first women's pre-Spring collection in 2008. They have released cruise collections since Spring 2010.
The brand opened an online store in the US in 2008. This expanded to the UK market in 2010. On October 31, 2011, Alexander McQueen opened its first store in Beijing. This opening was celebrated with a special fashion show.
After Alexander McQueen
After Alexander McQueen's passing in February 2010, Sarah Burton took over. She had been his assistant for 14 years. The company continued to grow around the world. Its product range also became larger. By the end of 2020, there were 100 McQueen stores globally. The company's earnings were estimated at €500 million in 2020.
McQ Fashion Line
On July 27, 2006, the company launched a more affordable fashion line called McQ. This line was separate from the main Alexander McQueen brand. It offered stylish men's and women's ready-to-wear clothes and accessories. Lee Alexander McQueen himself designed these items. McQ focused on a younger audience, especially with its denim styles.
The Spring/Summer 2011 collection was the last one made with SINV SpA. In October 2010, the brand decided to take full control of McQ. A new team was created, led by Alexander McQueen's creative director, Sarah Burton. Pina Ferlisi became the creative director for the McQ line.
In August 2011, the company announced a standalone McQ store in London. It opened in 2012. In November 2011, McQ was shown at London Fashion Week for the first time. The four-story store stocked clothes and accessories for both men and women.
As of June 2022, the McQ line was paused. This happened after Gianfilippo Testa became the new CEO in May 2022.
Collaborations and Partnerships
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Alexander McQueen often worked with other artists and brands. From 1996 to 2001, he teamed up with jeweller Shaun Leane. They created special jewelry for his fashion shows.
In January 2003, Alexander McQueen launched his first perfume, Kingdom. It was made with perfumer Jacques Cavallier. A special limited edition came out in 2004. The company's second perfume, My Queen, was launched in 2006.
Working with Artists and Brands
In October 2003, Alexander McQueen worked with Michael Clark for a Spring 2004 collection show. He also collaborated with Björk at Fashion Rocks in October 2003.
In 2004, Alexander McQueen partnered with Safilo to create an eyewear collection. The 2010 collection featured the brand's famous skull design. That same year, the company worked with American Express. They launched a special version of the exclusive Centurion Card.
In 2005, Alexander McQueen teamed up with Puma AG. They created a line of men's and women's shoes. This Alexander McQueen x PUMA collection combined old traditions with new technology. In 2008, the shoe line grew to include clothes. They also worked with film director Saam Farahmand on a short film called Ghost for an ad campaign.
In 2007, Alexander McQueen was the first brand to work with MAC Cosmetics. They created a makeup collection. This collection was inspired by the 1963 film Cleopatra. Models wore intense blue and green eye makeup.
In 2008, Alexander McQueen collaborated with Samsonite. They made the Black Label luggage collection. Some bags had designs like a human ribcage or animal patterns. The brand also worked with hat designer Philip Treacy for its Spring 2008 and Fall 2009 collections. That same year, the McQ line partnered with Target. This was the first time Target worked with an international designer.
In 2009, McQueen designed costumes for the theater show "Eonnagata". He worked with dancer Sylvie Guillem and director Robert Lepage. The film "Sylvie Guillem, On The Edge" shows how the show was created.
On October 6, 2009, the company streamed its Spring/Summer 2010 collection Plato's Atlantis online. The shoes from this collection were very popular. The company also worked with the music group Unkle. Unkle created music for the McQ Autumn/Winter 2009 collection. This partnership was so successful that it continued for the McQ Spring/Summer 2010 collection.
In June 2010, Visionaire magazine released a special issue. It was called Spirit: A Tribute To Lee Alexander McQueen. This issue honored the late founder. It included contributions from famous artists like Lady Gaga and Steven Klein. Only 1,500 copies were made. The pages were made from special paper that would grow wildflowers when planted. This symbolized McQueen's lasting legacy.
Alexander McQueen Today
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After Alexander McQueen's passing, the company decided to continue. Robert Polet, head of the Gucci Group, announced this in February 2010. A McQueen collection was still shown during Paris Fashion Week.
On May 27, 2010, Sarah Burton became the new creative director. She had worked with McQueen since 1996. She also planned to launch a men's underwear collection. A part of the sales from this collection went to charities.
Burton's first menswear show, Pomp and Circumstance, was in June 2010. It received good reviews. Her first women's show was in Paris in October 2010. She said her vision for the brand would be "lighter." The show was praised for being strong and hopeful.
Royal Wedding Dress
Creative director Sarah Burton designed the wedding dress for Catherine Middleton. She wore it when she married Prince William on April 29, 2011. This dress became very famous.
Savage Beauty Exhibition
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City held an exhibition of McQueen's work in 2011. It was called Savage Beauty. Even though it was open for only three months, it was one of the most popular exhibitions ever at the museum. Fans wanted the exhibition to travel so more people could see it. This exhibition showed McQueen's amazing vision and creativity. It featured one hundred of his most famous designs.
The Savage Beauty exhibition also came to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. It was there from March 14, 2015, to August 2, 2015.
Recent Developments
On November 28, 2011, Sarah Burton won Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. In July 2015, Catherine Middleton wore an Alexander McQueen outfit for Princess Charlotte's christening.
In May 2016, the Alexander McQueen store in Paris won the Prix Versailles award. In September 2023, Sarah Burton announced she would leave the label. She had worked there for 26 years. In October 2023, Seàn McGirr was named the new creative director.
Leadership
CEOs
| Director | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Gianfilippo Testa | 2022–present |
Creative Directors
| Director | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Seàn McGirr | 2023–present |
| Sarah Burton | 2010–2023 |
| Lee Alexander McQueen | 1992–2010 |
Stores Around the World
Alexander McQueen and McQ stores are managed by Alexander McQueen Ltd. and Kering S.A. YOOX S.p.A. has been the online seller since 2011.
- Asia: 23 stores (in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia)
- New Zealand: 1 store (Auckland)
- Australia: 1 store (Melbourne)
- Europe: 7 stores (in London, Milan, Moscow, Paris, & Vienna)
- Middle East: 4 stores (in Abu Dhabi & Dubai, Qatar)
- United States: 8 stores (in Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Charlotte, Atlanta & San Francisco)
- Canada: 1 store (Toronto)
See also
- List of Alexander McQueen collections
