Alexander McQueen dies at age 40

Today I was going to write about retail collaborations with designers, but with the death of Alexander McQueen, it seems only fitting to introduce him to the unknowing.

A very, dear friend of mine emailed me with the news from CNN that the "brilliant" fashion designer, Alexander McQueen, died today. The news hit me hard because he and Jean Paul Gaultier are the only two, true avante-garde designers in the fashion world. Alexander's designs were always more polished while Jean Paul's were extremely theatrical. I found myself drawn to Alexander's work and the beautiful details that he belabored over in each of his pieces. With him gone, I find myself in mourning over a fabulous designer that has left a huge hole in the fashion industry. Who will pick up the torch of his work now that he is gone? I don't know and that is what saddens me.

A little about Alexander McQueen's life...Alexander left school in London at the age of 16 to work at Savile Row as an apprentice tailor. During that time, he tailored suits for the likes of Prince Charles and Mikhal Barshnikov. This was only the beginning with his detailed work.

At the age of 21, he went to design school and was highly recognized and sought after for his designs. By the age of 26, he was given his own line at Givenchy. As Alexander's popularity grew, the Gucci Group picked him up in 2001, where he finished with his own Alexander McQueen line, the new lower-end line: McQ and several collaborations with Puma and Target. I'm sure there are many more that I am missing.... In the end, fame and fortune did not satisfy his longing to live and last night on the eve of his mother's funeral, he took his own life.

So you can see why I was in awe of his work for years and deeply saddened by his passing, here are some remarkable pieces that were just coming out in his 2010 Spring line. Amazing!