With influences ranging from the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch to the films of Stanley Kubrick, Lee Alexander McQueen built quite the legacy before his passing in February 2010.
The trailer for Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s new documentary “McQueen” starts out by saying, “No one discovered Alexander McQueen. Alexander McQueen discovered himself.”
After leaving school at the age of 16, the designer, who was aware of his homosexuality at an early age, started working on Savile Row for tailors Anderson & Sheppard and then Gieves & Hawkes. This decision to leave school and start working lead him to Central St. Martins design college and ultimately to shaking up the fashion industry in ways no one was expecting.
The fashion designer, most commonly known for his skull motif, often caused controversy by showing his clothes on models who appeared to have been physically abused, institutionalized, and cosmetically altered, or by naming his collections eccentrically, such as 1992’s “Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims” and 1995’s “Highland Rape.” In the trailer, you hear the designer say, “I want you to feel repulsed or exhilarated,” in terms of his designs and fashion shows.
Through exclusive interviews with his closest friends and family, recovered archives, exquisite visuals and music, Bonhôte and Ettedgui give us a personal look at the extraordinary life, career, and artistry of the late Alexander McQueen, and seem to promise a unique look at the man who has given us some of fashions most memorable moments. His designs are still worn and adored by celebrities today.
Brought to you by Bleeker Street, “McQueen” is out on limited release on July 20.
Here’s the synopsis:
Exploring the life of British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who started his career in his teens before gaining notice as designer for Givenchy and launching his own label, which continues to this day. He took his own life in 2010.