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.
2003 Alexander McQueen Mixed Fur Jacket
By Alexander McQueen
Located in London, GB
This jacket was featured on the runway for Alexander McQueen’s 2003 fall/winter ready to wear collection, Vogue called the collection ‘Eurasian ethnic into punk’. This jacket is cons...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN F/W 2005 Gray Brown Mink Fur Removable Hood Belted Jacket Coat
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN F/W 2005 Gray Brown Mink Fur Removable Hood Belted Jacket Coat Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: F/W 2005 “The Man Who Knew Too Much” Designer: Alexander McQueen Style: Belted jacket Color(s): Gray (jacket, sleeves); natural (fur) Lined: Yes Marked Fabric Content: “80% Virgin fleece wool, 20% nylon”(shell/sleeves); “100% peliccia fur” (fur); “100% rayon cupro” (lining) Unmarked Fabric Content (feel of): Metal (hardware); leather (belt); Mink (fur) Additional Details / Inclusions: Gray knit sleeve belted jacket with removable hood. Fitted jacket with double set longline waist darts in front; armhole princess seams in back. Slightly curved side seams tapering in at waistline; side seams tapering out at hem. Wide ulster style notched lapel collar with topstitch detail around edges; button hardware at back underside of collar for hood attachment. Removable reversible mink fur hood...
Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2006 Superkid Mohair Military Coat Size S
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Berlin, DE
A striking and highly collectible piece from Alexander McQueen’s Fall/Winter 2006 collection, this sculptural military-style coat exemplifies the designer’s fascination with historic...
F/W 2001 Dolce & Gabbana Runway Tan Shearling Fur Suede Whipstitch Jacket
By Dolce & Gabbana
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This Dolce & Gabbana jacket from the Fall/Winter 2001 collection is crafted from tan shearling with a suede exterior and curly shearling trim. The design features a wrap front with a...
$2,963Sale Price|24% Off
Size: IT 44
New Alexander McQueen Olive Green Wool Cape Jacket Coat Size IT 44
By Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Alexander McQueen
Located in Conroe, TX
Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2015 Brand New $3950 Butter Soft Wool IT44 Olive Mock Knit at Neck Zips and Belted at Waist Fully Lined Two Front Pockets Bust: 37" Waist: 32" Shoulder:...
Early 2000s Yves Saint Laurent Beige Suede Fur Monochrome Moto Jacket FR38
By Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Yves Saint Laurent
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting a fabulous beige goat fur suede Yves Saint Laurent moto coat. From the early 2000s, this incredible coat is constructed entirely of monotone fur and supple suede with a zi...
Alexander McQueen short sheepskin coat 2000s
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Алматинский Почтамт, KZ
Alexander McQueen short sheepskin coat 2000s size 44 Shoulders: 41 cm / 16.14inches Sleeve Length: 66cm / 25.98inches Armpit Width: 51 cm / 20.08 inches Length: 58cm / 22.83inches...
Alexander McQueen Embellished Fur Jacket, 2003 'Scanners'
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Norwich, GB
UK shipping only for this item Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2003 ‘Scanners’ rabbit embellished fur runway jacket Good vintage condition, with some small marks to the lining. Zip ...
Vintage JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Sailor Collar Faux Fur Trimming Wool Jacket
By Jean Paul Gaultier
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Sailor Collar Faux Fur Trimming Wool Jacket Measurements taken laid flat, double bust and waist: Shoulder: 17.32 inches (44...
Alexander McQueen 2009 Vintage Olive Wool Coat with Padded Shoulders XS
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Berlin, DE
A sharply tailored and architecturally refined coat from Alexander McQueen 2009, embodying the house’s signature precision and sculptural femininity. Crafted in Italy from structured...
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.
