Yes, admitting I hate fashion while loving Alexander Mcqueen is a contradiction unto itself considering he was a fucking fashion powerhouse, but I confess this in the same vain when I say I hate the art world yet am completely inspired by art and try to live as a real artist. Alexander Mcqueen, became one of the few designers that helped to present fashion in its purest form as a walking canvas, so it was tragic, heartbreaking news to hear that someone I had complete respect for as artist took his own life.
To be more clear and quite frank, I hate how the fashion world presents itself with its rail thin models (no one looks like this, and girls should not aspire to this), the commercialization is completely annoying, (have you seen the NY Times online today?- no, I do not care for you Polo), and to quote Tanya Gold of the Guardian on why she hates fashion, "fashion is like a Jewish mother on crack, This will make you beautiful! This will make men want you! Wear this! Wear that!" This point, however, is one of the few I agree with on Gold's piece, the rest is how should I put it- I dont know- ridiculous. These same issues resonate in art, music, literature, the necessity of keeping things out the grasp of the greedy who want to commercialize art by turning it into a cash cow, chewing it up for all it's worth, then spitting it back in your face without an ounce of sincerity. Why do you think we champion new music so much?
And yet, with the ability to permeate even the most indomitable of minds (speaking mainly of my teenage self here), Alexander McQueen's vision and designs were free, bombastic, a blood rush to the head and made me realize my cynicism towards fashion was directly related to what I see distorted in the media. My first introduction to Mcqueen came with the arrival of Bjork's album "Homogenic" which he did the album art for as well as his video direction for the single "Alarm Call" from the same album. My obsession continued from there, and as one of the few creative forces, presented fashion as a raw, emotional, spiritual, and inspiring form of art. And yes, aside from the monster the fashion and art world have become there's still an honest sincerity in many to create from the heart and gut, and I applaud those who do.
Fashion darling, Tavi Gevinson, the 13 year old blogger of Style Rookie said it ever so eloquently, "He consistently delivered collections of extravagant creativity, the type of stuff where you just look at it and try to absorb it and you can't believe a person made this. Being lucky enough to gaze at a glimpse into such an artist's vision, and knowing that you can't even imagine everything that was put into making it, and suddenly feeling so happy and joyful about humanity, and life, because, Jesus, a person made this..is incredibly uplifting"
Uplifting indeed. R.I.P. Mcqueen.
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