Fallen.

Fallen.

Lee 'Alexander' McQueen

16 March 1969 – 11 February 2010

The designer was found, allegedly hanging, in his London flat yesterday morning.  His death is startling, completely tragic, and a terribly horrific waste of a great man and a brilliant talent.  What sparked the apparent suicide is unknown, though speculations point to the death of his beloved mother on February 2 of this year, and that McQueen had been deeply affected by the death of his dear friend Isabella Blow in 2007.  He was troubled, as most geniuses are, by the constant need to outdo himself with every new collection.  This need was not brought on by fame; it was a personal need to do better.  He was a quiet man who shunned the limelight and designed not for others, but for himself.  He single-handedly changed the face of fashion as we know it.  His loss is mourned by his family and by those who were, and are, inspired by his sheer talent and his eye for beauty, and the hope and illumination his creations gave us.

This news came as a crushing blow to me, as this man has been a huge part of my life, though obviously, I never had the honor of meeting him.  Still, I feel I know a small part of him, through his stunning and imaginative works of art.  It was Lee McQueen that first sparked my interest in fashion, and it was he that fanned the flames of my artistic passion all these years.  Him and his work have been an immense inspiration for me, and he will be highly praised and greatly missed.

♥