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 S/S 2003 White Corseted Denim Jacket
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Paris, FR
From the S/S 2003 collection of Alexander McQueen, this cropped denim jacket is structured around a pronounced corseting principle, with multiple vertical seam channels running from ...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1998 Ivory Button Front Notch Collar Slanted Pocket Blazer
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1998 Ivory Button Front Notch Collar Slanted Pocket Blazer Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: S/S 1998 Style: Blazer Color(s): Shades of ivory Lined: Yes Marked Fabric Content: 100% wool Additional Details / Inclusions: Alexander McQueen ivory blazer...
Tom Ford for Gucci S/S 2004 Silk Off-White Color Fan Pleated Jacket It 40 - US 4
By Gucci, Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in Montgomery, TX
Tom Ford for Gucci Silk Fan Pleated Fitted Jacket Blazer S/S 2004 Runway Collection Designer size 40 - US 4 Off-White Color Stretch Silk, Fan Designed 3D Appl...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1995 “The Birds” Cream Blazer Jacket w/ Birth + Hair Label
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1995 “The Birds” Cream Blazer Jacket w/ Iconic Birth & Hair Labels Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: S/S 1995 “The Birds” Designer: Alexander McQueen Style: Tailored blazer jacket Color(s): Cream Lined: Yes Unmarked Fabric Content (feel of): Silk blend (exterior shell); rayon (lining) Additional Packaging: Additional buttons Additional Details / Inclusions: Alexander McQueen cream single button tailored blazer jacket. Tailored blazer jacket with aesthetic triangular panel side seam detail at front of jacket; “V” shaped yoke at back of jacket with short princess seams below yoke. Dramatically peaked lapel collar. Short horizontal darts at front bustline of blazer jacket under lapel. Two slashed closed pockets at front of blazer lower angled seam. Tailored two-piece long sleeves with singular button closure at vented cuff. Slightly structured shoulders with shoulder pads attached at interior shell of blazer. Double open vents at bottom of back princess seams. Single-button center front closure. Alexander McQueen S/S 1995 blazer jacket containing the rare full detailed large date of birth label...
NWT Tom Ford for Gucci S/S 2004 Silk Off-White Color Fan Pleated Jacket It 42
By Tom Ford for Gucci, Gucci
Located in Montgomery, TX
NWT Tom Ford for Gucci Silk Fan Pleated Fitted Jacket Blazer S/S 2004 Runway Collection Designer size 42 - US 6 Off-White Color Stretch Silk, Fan Designed 3D Applications, Front Hidden Copper Zipper, Fully Lined in Stretch Silk. Measurements approx,: Length - 20" ( front ), 22" ( side ), Bust - 34...
2000s Emanuel Ungaro Linen Cream JAcket with fringes
By Emanuel Ungaro
Located in Capri, IT
2000s Emanuel Ungaro Linen Cream JAcket with fringes Composition: 87% linen 13% polyammide Italian size range 42 Dry clean only no lining inside
Issey Miyake S/S 2003 Runway Cream Cotton Canvas Jacket Museum Piece
By Issey Miyake
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Unlike many Japanese designers during the time Miyake gained momentum, Miyake’s aesthetic is simply more conceptual than it is avant-garde. Typically working with various pleating techniques, Miyake’s designs explore balance and proportion. This crème blazer is done from a simple canvas...
S/S 1992 Thierry Mugler Corset Ivory Lace Up Jacket
By Thierry Mugler
Located in Concord, NC
Thierry Mugler vintage cream corset lace up jacket from the Spring Summer 1992 “Les Cowboys” collection. This jacket features a structured corset-inspired construction. Square neckl...
1990s Viktor & Rolf Brand New Ivory Off White Sz 44 10 Cotton 90s Blazer Jacket
By Viktor & Rolf
Located in San Diego, CA
Chic brand new vintage 1990s VIKTOR and ROLF ivory cotton blazer jacket! Features a smart tailored fit, with Avant Garde 'loops' on each waist pocket, ...
S/S 1996 John Galliano Paris Broderie Anglaise Ballet Peplum White Jacket 40FR
By John Galliano
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting a fabulous white embroidered John Galliano blazer. From his Spring/Summer 1996 Ballet-inspired collection, multiple pieces on the runway featured similar broderie anglaise...
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.
