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 A/W 2002 "Supercalifragilistic" Leather Buckle Pencil Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
DESCRIPTION: ALEXANDER McQUEEN A/W 2002 "Supercalifragilistic" Leather Buckle Pencil Skirt Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: Autumn/Winter 2002 Designer: Alexande...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN A/W 2005 "Man Who Knew Too Much" Black Lace-up Pencil Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN A/W 2005 "Man Who Knew Too Much" Black Lace-up Pencil Skirt Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: A/W 2005 "Man Who Knew Too Much" Designer: Alexand...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN A/W 1997 Color Blocked Asymmetrical Ruched Pencil Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN A/W 1997 “It's a Jungle Out There” Color Blocked Asymmetrical Ruched Skirt Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: A/W 1997 “It's a Jungle Out There” ...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN A/W 2002 "Supercalifragilistic" Silk Lace Up Pencil Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
DESCRIPTION: ALEXANDER McQUEEN A/W 2002 "Supercalifragilistic" Silk Lace Up Pencil Skirt Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: Autumn / Winter 2002; “Supercalifragili...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1999 “No. 13” Micro Striped Pleat Waistband Pencil Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 1999 “No. 13” Micro Striped Pleat Waistband Pencil Skirt Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: S/S 1999 “No. 13” Designer: Alexander McQueen Style: Pencil skirt Color(s): Shades of black, gray and white; light blue (lining) Lined: Yes Marked Fabric Content: 100% wool (shell); Unmarked Fabric Content (feel of): Acetate (lining) Additional Details / Inclusions: Gray wool micro striped pencil skirt with stylistic pleated waistband. Wool pencil skirt with shades of gray, black, and white in micro-vertical stripes. Tailored skirt with two waist darts at both sides of front; one waist dart on both sides of back. Stylistic slanted pleat waistband. Waistband cut on bias...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN A/W 2012 Black Wool Silk Above-The-Knee Full Circle Skirt
By Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: A/W 2012 Designer: Sarah Burton Style: Above-the-knee skirt Color(s): Shades of black Lined: Yes Marked Fabric Content: "100% wool...
Alexander McQueen F/W 2002 Black Leather-Trimmed Buckled Pencil Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Paris, FR
From the F/W 2002 collection of Alexander McQueen, this pencil skirt employs a mixed-material construction pairing a dark woven body with a broad leather waistband that extends into ...
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN black wool STRAIGHT KNEE LENGTH Skirt 42 M
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Zürich, CH
100% authentic Alexander McQueen knee-length straight skirt in black wool (100%) embellished with tonal stitching details on the side and on the back. Opens with a zipper on the back...
Alexander McQueen F/W 2001 Black Paneled Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Milano, IT
- Sold by SkofArchive - Alexander McQueen black paneled wool skirt - Designed by Alexander McQueen - Fall-Winter 2001 - Frontal adjustable panel held by two buttons who create a dr...
Alexander McQueen Black Spring-Wool High-Slit Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in New York, NY
This simply wonderfully detailed Alexander McQueen pencil skirt has a high 16" center-back slit. The waistband measures 2 1/4" in width with two buttons along with the 6" zipper. Wai...
Alexander McQueen Cashmere Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Alexander McQueen - (Made in Italy) Black cashmere skirt. Size 42IT. Additional information: Dimensions: Size: 38 cm, Length: 70 cm Condition: V...
Alexander McQueen 2003 Black with Gold Zipper and Leather Trim Pencil Skirt
By Alexander McQueen
Located in San Francisco, CA
Vintage Alexander McQueen 2003 pencil skirt in black with gold zipper and leather details in a beautiful soft wool blend. Gold tone zips with leather tabs run alongside black leather...
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.
