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.
Dolce & Gabbana FW 2006 Fitted Velvet Jacket with Heraldic Buttons IT40
By Dolce & Gabbana
Located in Berlin, DE
An exceptional tailored jacket from Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall/Winter 2006 collection, crafted in Italy from a rich, deep-toned cotton velvet with a subtle sheen. The piece embodies ...
Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Runway Structured Silk Military Blazer F/W 2004
By Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent
Located in Berlin, DE
An exceptionally rare Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche structured silk blazer from the Fall/Winter 2004 runway collection, one of the most iconic seasons of Ford’s tenure ...
Tom Ford for Gucci Vintage Black Cotton Jacket, FW 2003, IT 38, Padded
By Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in Berlin, DE
From Tom Ford’s unforgettable Fall/Winter 2003 collection for Gucci, this structured black jacket is a striking example of his bold, sensual tailoring. Crafted in Italy from 100% cot...
Gucci by Tom Ford Vintage S/S 2003 Beige Leather Ruched Jacket XS
By Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in Berlin, DE
From Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection, designed by Tom Ford, this rare jacket encapsulates the sleek sensuality and precision tailoring that defined his transformative era at th...
Givenchy Paris Winter 2006 Textured Wool Blazer with Raw Edge Finish Size 36
By Givenchy
Located in Berlin, DE
A sharply tailored yet subtly deconstructed blazer from Givenchy’s Winter 2006 collection, representing the house’s transitional moment in the mid-2000s. The piece reflects a refined...
Dolce & Gabbana Distressed Yellow-Brown Biker Jacket, Early 2000s IT 42 S/M
By Dolce & Gabbana
Located in Berlin, DE
A rare early-2000s biker-style jacket by Dolce & Gabbana, crafted in Italy from 100% goatskin with a distinctive hand-distressed finish in yellow and brown tones. This piece feat...
DOLCE GABBANA Vintage 1990s floral jacquard cropped blazer jacket IT38 XS
By Dolce & Gabbana
Located in Hong Kong, NT
DOLCE GABBANA Vintage 1990s floral jacquard cropped blazer jacket IT38 XS Reference: TGAS/F00036 Brand: Dolce Gabbana Designer: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana Collection: 1990's ...
Christian Lacroix 1990s Gold Baroque Brocade Jacket
By Christian Lacroix
Located in PARIS, FR
Exceptional Christian Lacroix jacket crafted in France from a luxurious, richly textured gold brocade. This sculptural piece showcases Lacroix’s signature opulence: dramati...
Balmain jacquard lame evening blazer, c. 2010
By Christopher Decarnin, Balmain
Located in London, GB
A rare and highly sought after Balmain evening blazer from the Fall 2010 runway collection, designed by Christophe Decarnin. The blazer is in a high quality jacquard fabric with gold...
Cavalli Floral Cotton Jacket
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in London, GB
A great jacket for Spring /Summer by Cavalli, Just Cavalli range. The cotton jacket is in a pretty floral print, with a single button opening, cut away collar and peplum effect at t...
Etro Vintage Fall 2004 Women's Wool Floral Brocade Blazer Jacket IT42
By Etro
Located in London, GB
Stunning vintage Etro wool brocade jacket from the Fall 2004 collection - look 7 on the runway. Unworn with tag. Made from superbly textured rose wear wool mix brocade with green vel...
1980's Ungaro Khaki Floral Blazer
By Emanuel Ungaro
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Funky Ungaro khaki floral blazer from the 1980's featuring notched lapels, a single button closure and two patch pockets at the hip. Gold plate button with ornamentation. Paisley pri...
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.
