• About
  • Login to comment
    • Bluesky
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Archives

Alexander McQueen dies

Posted by Robin on 11 February 2010 31 Comments

Alexander McQueen fashion ad campaign

Designer Alexander McQueen was found dead today at his home in London, in an apparent suicide. He was 40 years old. You can read more at the Guardian, the BBC, or the New York Times.

Thanks to Christine for the link.

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: alexander mcqueen

Advertisement


31 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. LaMaroc says:
    11 February 2010 at 11:49 am

    Tell me this is a joke, a prank. Oh my God. Why? Why???

    Log in to Reply
  2. Abyss says:
    11 February 2010 at 12:01 pm

    Gosh, how very sad. RIP.

    Log in to Reply
  3. Zazie says:
    11 February 2010 at 12:04 pm

    I am very sorry.
    I liked his mesmerizing vision and elaborate dresses and would look up his collections to dream a bit…
    May he rests in peace.

    Log in to Reply
  4. lilydale aka Natalie says:
    11 February 2010 at 12:06 pm

    What sad news, and yet more proof that boatloads of talent doesn’t make one immune to… well, anything.

    Log in to Reply
  5. bookgirl says:
    11 February 2010 at 12:18 pm

    I was stunned when I found out this morning. Heartbreakingly sad.

    Log in to Reply
  6. prism says:
    11 February 2010 at 12:26 pm

    Rest In Piece, you genius.

    Log in to Reply
  7. Absolute Scentualist says:
    11 February 2010 at 12:37 pm

    Oh no. What a terrible loss. My heart aches for his family and friends. He was one of my favorite designers when I was a teen and used to dream of owning some of his clothes. You will be deeply missed, Alexander. Rest in peace. ;'(

    Log in to Reply
  8. Joe says:
    11 February 2010 at 12:41 pm

    I just heard this about a half hour ago. I’m so fashion-clueless that I’m not so aware of his work even though I know the name by way of perfumes. RIP.

    Log in to Reply
    • abirae says:
      11 February 2010 at 2:25 pm

      I can’t say that I follow fashion closely, but his work had an incredible sculptural quality. Pulling from catholic sources, he was always pushing imaginative new shapes, while never forgetting the person within the clothes. His collections seem to follow his own personal interests rather than trends, but his craftsmanship and focus on the body always kept him commercially viable. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but his fashion suggested a rich interior world, occasionally touched by various religious traditions, and the accompanying darkness. By all accounts he was a creative force and a master craftsman – a real tailor.

      his spring 2010 collection eroded some of my cynicism about fashion.

      http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2010/spring/main/europe/womenrunway/alexandermcqueen/#slide24&ss1

      Log in to Reply
      • abirae says:
        11 February 2010 at 2:26 pm

        Oh, and how can I forget the shoes?

        http://www.purseblog.com/fashion/fashion-week-shoes-alexander-mcqueen.html

        Log in to Reply
        • nozknoz says:
          13 February 2010 at 11:34 am

          THANK YOU for these amazing links, abirae! Sooo beautiful….it is easy to imagine that he must have been plagued by terrible nightmares, though. Sometimes one feels like a bit of a vampire feeding off the beauty produced by these tortured souls…

          Log in to Reply
      • meadowbliss says:
        11 February 2010 at 4:14 pm

        Very beautiful wording, Abirae. This is sad indeed.

        Log in to Reply
  9. platinum14 says:
    11 February 2010 at 1:19 pm

    A huge talent!
    What a horrible news!

    Log in to Reply
  10. pyramus says:
    11 February 2010 at 1:23 pm

    I’m shocked. I don’t pay much attention to fashion (I mostly know of him through his scents, like the polarizing Kingdom), but you couldn’t really avoid hearing about him in relation to Lady Gaga, who famously wore his clothing to such good effect in her “Bad Romance” video. Judging from that collection alone, he was obviously some kind of genius, and I am sorry to hear of this.

    Log in to Reply
  11. LaMaroc says:
    11 February 2010 at 1:37 pm

    They called him “l’enfant terrible” in the fashion press but I think he just had a wicked sense of humor and liked to take the piss out of the pretentious fashion elite. But this boy was obviously not so terrible that he was obviously gutted by the passing of his mother a few days earlier. It just makes the event all the more tragic to me. I really am feeling for his poor family to have to suffer two losses so narrowly spaced.

    Log in to Reply
    • Bela says:
      11 February 2010 at 3:34 pm

      He was the epitome of the ‘enfant terrible’: someone who was unconventional and who ‘disturbed’ others

      Log in to Reply
  12. Celestia says:
    11 February 2010 at 1:45 pm

    The son of a taxi driver, Alexander’s first collection was completely bought out by Isabella Blow, a fashionista. She too, took her own life at the age of 48. The fashion world wil be reeling from this sad news for a long time. I’m so sorry that he felt the need to check out of this life. His elaborate designs and fashion show staging will secure his place in fashion history as a visionary and genius…

    Log in to Reply
  13. peter says:
    11 February 2010 at 2:08 pm

    His vision, creativity and inmensurable talent will be greatly missed.
    Kingdom was one of my favorite fragrances.

    Sigh.

    Log in to Reply
  14. Tama says:
    11 February 2010 at 2:24 pm

    Very sad news, indeed. His work was so good.

    Log in to Reply
  15. kalynna says:
    11 February 2010 at 2:51 pm

    I was just admiring his latest collection last night. This is so sad and I feel for his friends and family. RIP.

    Log in to Reply
  16. RusticDove says:
    11 February 2010 at 2:59 pm

    Shocking, sad news.

    Log in to Reply
  17. Robin says:
    11 February 2010 at 3:43 pm

    Thanks to everyone who chimed in — it is very sad news.

    Log in to Reply
  18. Ojeda says:
    11 February 2010 at 5:43 pm

    I found out hours ago but I’m still at a loss.

    RIP.

    Log in to Reply
  19. hotlanta linda says:
    11 February 2010 at 6:14 pm

    He wanted to be with his beloved mum – hopefully they are together and HAPPY…

    Log in to Reply
  20. Daisy says:
    11 February 2010 at 7:30 pm

    It is so tragic that someone could be so devastated that they couldn’t just wait a little bit longer….I can’t help but think that his mom would be horrified to think that he ended his life because of her loss.
    I feel so badly for his family to lose so much in such a short time!

    Log in to Reply
  21. Tara says:
    11 February 2010 at 8:28 pm

    This is profoundly sad. Any loss of such a young person is unimagineable….heartbreaking….

    Log in to Reply
  22. Mademoiselle says:
    11 February 2010 at 9:20 pm

    Loved his theatrical creativity – hated the armadillo shoes – a great loss to the pressure-cooker world of designer fashion.

    Log in to Reply
  23. Flora says:
    12 February 2010 at 12:09 am

    How terribly shocking , he was so young and talented. A great loss.

    Log in to Reply
  24. alltheprettythings says:
    12 February 2010 at 9:20 am

    So sad and shocking. I loved his clothing and vision. Rest, Lee.

    Log in to Reply
  25. BACB says:
    12 February 2010 at 12:45 pm

    In a previous career I had the great honour of working with him… he had such respect for craft in any guise and his talent and creations will be sorely missed – May he rest in peace

    Log in to Reply
  26. Flirtation Device says:
    12 February 2010 at 4:40 pm

    Wearing Kingdom today to honor him – his work was incredible. I keep seeing SJP with him in that amazing plaid dress, and she wore a gorgeous black satin sheath of his last year. It had a silkscreened tendril of smoke wafting up the bodice.

    My fb post this morning:

    Alexander McQueen, I miss you already! Kingdom was first perfume that was pure magic to me. It was such a puzzle – romantic and gothic and the sexiest thing I’d yet smelled in my life. It was Kingdom that drove the academic in me to learn why it was so intoxicating. The romance came from rose and jasmine, the gothic came from the myrrh and the sandalwood, and the sexiness of warm skin came from the cumin. I bought Kingdom at Harrods when I was running the London marathon for the first time, and it will forever remind me of a time in my life that was full of beauty, wonder and possibility. Thank you for an incredible gift.

    Although I now know designers have little to do with actual fragrance creation, Kingdom still holds a special place in my heart because it was the beginning of my journey to becoming a perfumista.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement

Search

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

15 March ~ swapmeet

3 April ~ damage poll
26 April ~ splitmeet

3 May ~ spring reading poll
17 May ~ Haiku challenge!

 

Back to Top

Home
Archives
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Books

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2025 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.