wondering about his life of extremes
from his mastery of fashion, meaning not just clothes but wearable art
to his success as the world's youngest leading designer
to his despondency and death
He could create clothes such as thesethat were so immanently wearable
like this suit, perhaps without the birds nest hat
and this feather dress which we all know was copied on project runway
and this tropical bird of paradise evening gown, utterly wearable without the feathersHe could also create clothes that were pure theatrical genius
Like this "Red Queen" coat, an Orientalist - Georgian confection
and this armored warrior queen - note that the dress without the mail is dazzling in its cut
this basking butterfly headdress
and these iconic "bedlingtons" so aptly named by Miss Cavendish
and this birds of prey in flight headdress seemingly holding up this frock.How does a 40 year old man at the height of his success succumb to such despair as to commit suicide? Granted that he grieved for the mother that he lost only days before his death, and his friend/champion Isabella Blow that he lost three years previously, but to take his grief to such extreme is for me, not understandable.
When I consider all of the people who are out of work and have families to feed or who are seriously ill from a terminal decease, who get up everyday continue with their lives, I wonder that McQueen couldn't have found the will to go on.
I friend of mine lost his daughter to cancer almost two years ago, after battling it with her for almost 8 years. His daughter was 24 years old when she died. He despaired in fact he still despairs but he goes on with his life. A woman that I work with has had cancer treatment off and on for the last 6 years and now the cancer has metastasized to her brain. She goes on knowing how fragile life is and appreciates each additional day.
I guess that in some way I'm insufficiently sensitive to the trials and travails of the talented, successful and wealthy 40 year old McQueen.
I leave you with this link to part 1 of McQueen's last show, Plato's Atlantis.
I leave you with this link to part 1 of McQueen's last show, Plato's Atlantis.
The embed code has been disabled, thus the link.
Watch and enjoy the last of his brilliant body of work.
