(See what we did there? Like the love child of ‘Got milk’ and ‘You’ve been tangoed’)
Laura Reynolds looks at the hype surrounding the collaboration.
Just a week to go until the man in red arrives...
However this year the event is twinged with sadness at the shocking death of one of Britain's brightest designers, Alexander McQueen. The news of his suicide has shocked the fashion industry and his fantastical take on modern clothing will not be forgotten. McQueen was known for his razor sharp wit and outspoken nature. He created collections that aimed to shock, outrage and inspire the audience with themes ranging from death to evolution. Perhaps one of the most memorable McQueen moments was when a model was spray painted at the end of the runway in order to turn her plain white dress into a unique piece of art.
In the last few days the Gucci Group, who own McQueen's high profile brand, have decided to continue his legacy and create clothes under his name. McQueen's first posthumous collection will be shown on the 9th March at Paris fashion week and it will undoubtedly become the place to be for all mourning fashionistas. In my opinion McQueen's death should signify an end to his fashion career; using his name in order to create more money is somewhat exploitative. His genius and imagination cannot be so easily replicated. If fashion is about the individual and their creative vision then McQueen's premature death should signal the tragic end of a wonderful strand of British invention.
Of course the company that wish to continue McQueen's legacy are quick to argue this is the best way to honour and pay tribute to the late designer. Personally I couldn't disagree more. McQueen spent the majority of his life creating something uniquely personal to him. From sketch book to runway his designs were an aspect of his own time and commitment to the artistry of fashion. To have someone use his name to create designs out of his control and imagination is an insult to his memory. Instead I feel the best way to honour McQueen is to display his works for posterity, allowing the public to appreciate his genius. An exhibition of his designs will give an unlimited amount of inspiration to students, artists and other designers without dragging his name through future fashion weeks.
Obviously fashion houses such as Dior and Chanel have achieved their longevity despite the death of their talented founders. They have developed throughout the decades creating clothes that we would love to own. However in the case of Alexander McQueen I feel this system would not work. His collections were not just clothes but performances, showstopping sensations that saw models wearing veiled antlers and giraffe style shoes. Is this something that can be constantly and successfully adapted season after season? Maintaining its innovation whilst still having the fashion critics in a stir? Does his work have an over arching selling point that will stand the test of time? If all else fails Chanel can return to its sophisticated Parisian routes to create a beautiful collection, so what can the Gucci Group draw of out of the McQueen brand that will symbolise his life's work?
It seems only time will tell. If the fashion industry approve of the new collections then the McQueen name will continue to live on as a fashion label. However the real man, the artist, the four time winner of the 'British designer of the year' award will be gone. No doubt we will start to see McQueen inspired collections emerging next year, with new designers trying to create the shocking shows that helped to catapult him into fame. It is times like this that I am reminded that fashion is more than just hanging clothes off an anorexic model. The fashion designer is an artist and the models the blank canvas. McQueen was one of just a handful of designers who could truly create a vision, something straight out of the imagination. Clothes not meant to be worn, but marvelled at.
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