British fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, the original creative engine behind the Alexander McQueen label, was beloved for his expert tailoring and theatrical runway shows. After his suicide in 2010, fans left tributes to the man and his talents outside Alexander McQueen boutiques worldwide. Record-breaking crowds visited the posthumous retrospective of the designer’s work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Victoria and Albert in London.
The inspirations for vintage Alexander McQueen bags, dresses, jackets and other items came from many quarters — film, music, current events, history, his heritage and fashions of the past. The designer's runway presentations were not just displays of clothing but were personal expressions of the zeitgeist, often touching on our cultural anxieties and concerns. McQueen’s own thoughts and feelings about love, death, gender, genocide, colonialism, global warming and the extinction of species all appear in his pieces.
McQueen certainly shook up fashion; he was a born Rottweiler. His upbringing on a council estate in north London played a part, but his family was close and supportive, not dysfunctional. He was proud of his Scottish heritage: He was a defiant fashion warrior. His historical themes and shows — such as “Highland Rape,” 2002, which was inspired by England’s “rape of Scotland,” as McQueen called it — always invoked powerful reactions from his audience of fashion pros.
“What you see in the work is the person himself. And my heart is in my work,” McQueen told Harper’s Bazaar in 2007.
It is perhaps this heart, and the heart’s exposure, that drew the crowds and made McQueen's creations both popular and emotionally resonant. Because the work was personal and thus layered with feeling, the motifs — decorative embellishments and fabric choices — have meaning. In other words, in McQueen’s oeuvre, plaid is more than simply a pattern.
Find vintage Alexander McQueen fashion and accessories — including the designer's coveted bags and comfortable, stretchy jersey knit dresses and gowns — on 1stDibs.
Alexander McQueen F/W 2009 The Horn of Plenty Metallic Lamé Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Paris, FR
Metallic lamé dress Alexander McQueen from the celebrated F/W 2009 The Horn of Plenty collection. Constructed in silver-toned lamé with distinctive crosshatched metallic finish throu...
NWT 2000s Dolce & Gabbana Vintage Y2K Gold Metallic Size 8 / 10 Cocktail Dress
By D&G by DOLCE & GABBANA, Dolce & Gabbana
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous brand new with tags early 2000s Dolce & Gabbana D&G gold metallic sleeveless cocktail dress! Features a luxurious cotton and linen metallic blend. POCKETS at each side of th...
$625Sale Price|21% Off
Size: 36
1990s Barbara Bui Silver and Gold One Shoulder Silk + Snakeskin Vintage Dress
By Barbara Bui
Located in San Diego, CA
Sexy 90s BARBARA BUI silver and gold one shoulder Bodycon jacquered mini dress! Features a textured silk and rayon blend of silver and gold---not sure what color to jewelery to wear?...
YVES SAINT LAURENT 2009 bronze metallic look V neck sheath dress FR40 S
By Yves Saint Laurent, Stefano Pilati
Located in Hong Kong, NT
YVES SAINT LAURENT 2009 bronze metallic look V neck sheath dress FR40 S Reference: CAKK/A00040 Brand: Yves Saint Laurent Designer: Stefano Pilati Collection: 2009 Material: Wool, Ble...
Dolce & Gabbana, Gold metallic pencil dress
By Dolce & Gabbana
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
Dolce & Gabbana, Gold metallic pencil dress with embossed print. The item is new with tag.
NWT Alexander McQueen Pre Death 2009 Shimmer & Sparkle Nude Beaded Evening Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alexander Mcqueen 2009 hand beaded evening dress. Form fitting and tastefully fashioned of nude silk showered with clear sequins overlaid in a geometric pattern of silver sequins. Bo...
Vintage GIANNI VERSACE VERSUS Asymmetric Shoulder Lurex Gold Metallic Dress
By Versus Versace, Gianni Versace
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage GIANNI VERSACE VERSUS Asymmetric Shoulder Lurex Gold Metallic Dress Measurements taken laid flat, please double bust, waist and hips: Bust: 18.50 inches (47 cm) Waist: 17.71 inches (45 cm) Hips: 18.90 inches (48 cm) Length: 34.25 inches (87 cm) Features: - 100% Authentic GIANNI VERSACE VERSUS. - Lurex metallic dress with asymmetric shoulder detailing. - Iconic Versace lion...
Dolce & Gabbana Metallic Bronze Ruched Off-Shoulder Dress
By Dolce & Gabbana
Located in Dallas, TX
Dolce & Gabbana Metallic Bronze Ruched Off-Shoulder Dress Bold, sculptural, and unmistakably Dolce & Gabbana, this figure-hugging cocktail dress delivers high drama in a metallic br...
1990S TOM FORD GUCCI Metallic Bronze Poly/Lurex Stretch Strapless Cocktail Dress
By Tom Ford
Located in New York, NY
1990S TOM FORD GUCCI Metallic Bronze Poly/Lurex Stretch Strapless Cocktail Dress MORPHEW VINTAGE represents the finest pieces of fashions past. Sourced from across the globe, dating...
BURBERRY LONDON Size 8 Gold Viscose Blend Sequined Cocktail Dress
By Burberry London
Located in San Francisco, CA
BURBERRY LONDON cocktail dress in a gold viscose stretch blend fabric featuring all over sequins, black contrast ribbon waistband, short sleeves, V-neck, and a back zipper closure.Ve...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1998 “Golden Shower” Gray Black Plunge Neck Sheath Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1998 “Golden Shower” Gray Black Plunge Neck Sheath Dress Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: S/S 1998 "Golden Shower" Designer: Alexander McQue...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 2007 "Sarabande" Floral Brocade Sleeveless Shift Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
Alexander McQueen S/S 2007 "Sarabande" sleeveless shift dress. Lavender floral on silver brocade. Sleeveless. V-neckline. Gathered criss-cross detail at bust. Center back invisible z...
BOTTEGA VENETA A/W 2011 Biege Textured Wool Gold Piped Panel Cocktail Dress
By Bottega Veneta, Tomas Maier
Located in Thiensville, WI
Bottega Veneta Autumn/Winter 2011 beige textured wool blend panel cocktail dress. Wide scoop neckline. 3/4 length sleeves. Multiple panels with metallic gold flat piped seam detail. ...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1997 "La Poupee" Plunging V Neck Bias Cut Cocktail Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
DESCRIPTION: ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1997 "La Poupee" Plunging V Neck Bias Cut Cocktail Dress Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: Spring / Summer 1997 “La Poupee”; Runway look #40 Designer: Alexander McQueen Style: Plunging v neck dress...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN c.2010 “Angels & Demons” Grinling Gibbons Knit Sheath Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN c.2010 “Angels & Demons” GRINLING GIBBONS Skull Floral Wool / Silk Knit Dress Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Designer:...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 2010 "Plato's Atlantis" Snakeskin Jersey Knit Sheath Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
DESCRIPTION: ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 2010 "Plato’s Atlantis" Snakeskin Jersey Knit Sheath Dress Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: Spring / Summer 2010 Designer: Ale...
The designer combined his Savile Row training with his fascination with Victorian jewelry to create a most alluring piece.
A striking tartan ensemble from the late designer’s celebrated (and controversial) Fall/Winter 2006 collection is equal parts tailored and punk.
