15 February 2010

RIP Lee Alexander McQueen


"The news that Alexander McQueen has killed himself is particularly devastating because it always felt to me like he’d be the last man standing. He was restless, but so pragmatic with it I assumed he had what it took to endure the extreme situations he placed himself in. He was also an arch romantic with a pessimistic streak. It produced some of the most beautiful, shocking images in the history of fashion, but it’s a state of mind that can lead to endless disappointments. The death of McQueen’s mother last week would have validated his pessimism. It would undoubtedly have taken away his most vital support. It’s awful to imagine him trying—and failing—to cope, and one can only hope that, if he was looking for peace, he found it. For everyone left behind, there will eventually be consolation, however scant right now, in a body of work whose power will never die."

—Tim Blanks


















It's taken me a few days to process this. In short, I lost someone I did not know but greatly admired as an artist and as a human being. It's sometimes easy to place those we admire on a pedestal and when they pass under unideal circumstances to rip them apart in an attempt to speculate how and why they are gone. I made a choice to remember him as I did while he was alive; For his accomplishments and the beauty he created. I admired him and his work while he was alive, and that's all I will continue to do after his departure. I encourage everyone to watch the videos below to see portions of some of his most well known shows/performances.
Rest in Peace, Mr. McQueen.







Photos: All from Style.com

2 comments:

  1. so inspiring and a well-written post!

    and who can forget the butterfly headpiece?

    http://blogs.reuters.com/oddly-enough/files/2007/10/fashion-butterfly-300.jpg

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  2. "He was also an arch romantic with a pessimistic streak"

    Sarah.

    This quote is exactly what I was explaining to you last friday. I didn't know he was so romantic. It always showed in his delivery but you nor I could ever see that in him as a person. That version of him is what draws us into the mystery of him or any other person that intrigues us. Hero's are for the fortunate and the misguided.

    Aren't we so lucky to know what seems fair?

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