The world of fashion has lost one of its biggest players: Alexander McQueen. The legendary designer, who worked at Givenchy before starting his own line, was found dead in his London home yesterday. While celebrities who made his pieces closet staples mourn the loss, devout fashion followers are equally devastated – and apparently willing to do a lot in order have a piece of his legacy.
Upon hearing the news, Facebook inevitably filled with “RIP Alexander McQueen” statuses and the like; but it doesn’t stop there. Fans flocked to the Web to get a hold of McQueen’s last pieces he directly produced. One of my best friends charged nearly $300 on her father’s American Express in 5 minutes flat in hopes of owning one of McQueen’s
famous skull scarves (a favorite of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson). this was at noon yesterday just, hours after the news had been announced, and there were only three left.
“I can pass it down to my children,’ she said. While I’m not sure it’s something I would do as a college student living on a limited budget, I suppose if you followed McQueen’s line religiously it would make sense to want to have a memory of his short but bright legacy. But that’s not even the craziest scenario. according to the Wall Street Journal, the line’s director of communications sent out an email stating that the company would be securing all samples from
McQueen’s line that are currently circulating throughout the fashion world – no doubt in fear of people trying to sell McQueen’s last original items to the highest bidder. if you’re not familiar with the fashion world, samples are pieces that haven’t been mass produced yet. They are a way for designers to try out new designs and see how some
of their loyal clients react. for a man who has designed dresses for fashion icons like Sarah Jessica Parker, Madonna and Victoria Beckham, it’s almost unimaginable how much someone would pay for one of McQueen’s last original designs.
Even Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue has stated “We are devastated to learn of the death of Alexander McQueen, one of the greatest talents of his generation. he brought a uniquely British sense of daring and aesthetic fearlessness to the global stage of fashion. In such a short career, Alexander McQueen’s influence was astonishing—from street style to music culture and the world’s museums. His passing marks an insurmountable loss.” Whether you’re directly involved with the fashion industry or just a mere outsider looking in, one thing is for sure: McQueen’s death is a tragic loss. While his line may continue without him, it will never truly be the same.