Vogue on Alexander McQueen

Vogue on Designers

by Chloe Fox

Alexander (Lee) McQueen was - for the 15 years that he stood at its helm - British fashion's most significant figure. His extraordinary career, which took him from humble beginnings as an apprentice on Savile Row to the creative directorship of his own global brand, is a story of hard work, ambition and visionary brilliance. Leading photographers such as Mario Testino and Corinne Day photographed his stunning designs for Vogue, and through them Alexander McQueen's career is presented - from the controversy of his early shows to the elegiac perfection of his last - with a particular emphasis on the evolution of his signature style: immaculate tailoring, slashed fabric, historical references and beauty in the macabre. The book shows that McQueen's own ambition was fully realised: 'I want to be the purveyor of a certain silhouette or a way of cutting so that, when I'm dead and gone, people will know that the Twenty-first Century was started by Alexander McQueen'. Vogue, the international fashion bible, has charted the careers of designers through the decades.

Its unique archive of photographs, taken by the leading photographers of the day from Cecil Beaton to Mario Testino, and original illustrations, together with its stable of highly respected fashion writers, make Vogue the most authoritative and prestigious source of reference on fashion. With a circulation of over 160,000 and a readership of over 1,400,000, no brand is better positioned to present a library on the great fashion designers of the modern age.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Art

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2012

Reviews

[Clau · Rating 5 out of 5]

the icon, the legend, alexander mcqueen

[Mani Bidarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Alexander McQueen fan, I've enjoyed reading this book. It's not a full and deep autobiography per se, but it covers all the essentials while incorporating beautiful visuals from McQueen's collections.

[Afrodite Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uma biografia que vê a vida de McQueen através dos seus desfiles.
É um livro muito bonito e que eu acho muito delicado em olhar a vida do Alexander através do trabalho dele, ao invés de tentar se ocupar da “mente torturada” e de toda a suposta tristeza que cercava ele, porque ele sempre foi muito mais que isso, não apenas enquanto artista, mas enquanto pessoa mesmo. Não é uma biografia suuuper detalhada que vai te dizer cada ano da vida dele, mas é uma representação concisa e muito boa do que foi a obra e a carreira dele.
É agridoce terminar a leitura, porque enquanto eu lia eu ficava muito animada com os desfiles que estavam sendo detalhados e pensando “o que ele vai fazer a seguir??” E quando chegou em Plato’s Atlantis, sabendo que não haveria um próximo, eu me senti triste, roubada de um grande momento histórico que existiu e nunca vai ser repetido, mas fico feliz de a obra dele permanecer de diversas maneiras, e definitivamente me considero um devoto de Lee Alexander McQueen agora.

[Agnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really nicely written and very interesting to read. As mentioned by other reviewers, this is not an in-depth story about Lee McQueen, more about basic knowledge and facts about his fashion career, but still making an effort of trying to understand his complex personality. In addition, the book is filled with exceptionally beautiful pictures, which makes it so enjoyable to read while seeing all those beautiful garments in styled editorials. Overall, this book makes me want to buy other books from 'Vogue On' series.
I would recommend to anyone, especially to people who have never read anything about McQueen and want to learn some basic information about him - that would be a good introductory read.

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vogue books are very short and don’t go into much depth but they’re perfect for a quick insight into the designers life and mind. I brought this book as I needed some quotes for my fashion degree and this book was perfect for that.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helt okej faktabok om en fantastisk designer. Det var ingenting nytt om Alexander mcqueen utan skulle rekommendera den som en start om man är intresserad av designern som skapade märket.

[Iviny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Alexander here, and I find it impossible to admire anyone's work more.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book captures the designers styles who clearly was ahead of his time.

[Mads · Rating 4 out of 5]

god, he was so brilliant

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been on my TBR for around 2 years now and I picked up for a quick read. These Vogue books are quite short but it gives a quick insight into the designer's life. I feel like a learned a lot about Alexander McQueen as a brand and the book was filled was the most amazing pictures from editorials and runway shows.

[Lenora]

An excellent about a giant in fashion history who created a new context inside of the fashion lexicon. From a young age, he created amazing avante garaude garments and equally spectacular shows. This book masterfully tells his story.