Alexander McQueen: After Lee

[Squizree]

So according to etceteraism there is a chance of the Alexander McQueen label being continued under the lead of someone else.

The fate of the line is now under question. According to an article from The Cut, Gucci Group is unsure if the line will be continued as it may not be financially viable for them without Lee at the helm. There is question of who could possibly be similar enough in terms of visionary in order to replace the “l’enfant terrible” of the fashion industry.

However, I heard something very interesting from someone at the Alexander McQueen store in Las Vegas (I called to place an order for a scarf as Holt Renfrew in Vancouver is apparently sold out according to my Twitter contacts). He said that there is someone who could take over for McQueen. Lee’s assistant (I believe he said her name is Sarah) has been with him ever since college and, while Lee himself designs all of the couture-wear, most of the ready to wear are her own designs. She is well versed enough in his archives and his style well enough to confidently continue the line. The question is-will the McQueen family allow her (or anyone) to continue on the line using his namesake? Or will Gucci Group decide to scrap the line regardless? I truly hope that they consider this woman to take over the line. It is tragic enough to lose such an iconic designer, but what a loss it would be if the line he built up over the past couple of decades will come to such an untimely end as well. For his sake, I really hope this isn’t the end of McQueen.

http://ow.ly/17csR

But I also read in Fashionolgie today:

Scott Schuman of the Sartorialist wrote today:
I was talking to a retailer yesterday who said that her McQueen business was growing faster than it ever had before.
However, she sees no other option than to close the business of McQueen.
Who could take over? Should anyone takeover?
I'm sure Gucci has invested millions in this business but, this isn't the same as finding a replacement for an old house like YSL or Kenzo.
This is different, very different.
I think the closest correlation to this would have to be Moschino. And still after all these years, no one has been able to replace him, just a design team. Do we really want this to be the fate of McQueen's business?
I mean, come on, who could possibly keep the spirit of McQueen alive? He was so unique that his replacement could never get out of that shadow.

fashionologie

 

[Squizree]

Also very interesting:

Alexander McQueen's fall 2010 collection was essentially finished, a source tells Fashionologie. The design team reportedly completed the final fittings last week before the designer's tragic death on Thursday. However, no one knows what will become of the collection. Yesterday, the label sent out an urgent message to the industry asking that all McQueen samples be returned immediately. It's also unclear what will happen to the label as a whole.

fashionologie

AND

An urgent message from Alexander McQueen’s director of communications was sent out this morning, requesting that all samples from the late designer be sent back to the headquarters. The email read:

Dear friends and colleagues,

I hope you will understand that in regards to the recent demise of Mr. Lee Alexander McQueen, our immediate priority is to secure all items and garments from current and past collections. We are therefore stopping all trafficking of samples.

I therefore ask you to please send back to us all items that are currently in your offices.
Should some items or garments be out on shootings on outside locations, I ask you to pay the most strict attention in terms of securing these items, and to please send them back asap.

It is our responsibility to keep Lee’s legacy safe and protected.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Heard on the Runway wonders how much these garments are going to skyrocket in value now. Estimates?

blogs.wsj.com

 

[LagerfeldBoy]

I really hope they continue the brand than just completely end it. I mean, McQueen spent all those years making his empire what it is today and then it closes? I think the best solution is to find the right replacement (I've read that his assistant designed all of the RTW so why not her?) and then go on from there. Plus, what a blow would it be to everyone just to end something so precious to him.

 

[Squizree]

As much as I love McQueen and adore his creations I've never really seen his label as an "empire" so to speak. Unlike YSL and Coco Chanel and whoever else, McQueen still hadn't reached that point where his label was globally known and recognizable; it was still somewhat unfamiliar. He left the whole thing unfinished. I'm not very sure anyone can complete his legacy the way McQueen did it.

I'd love McQueen to become a household name and still be the most inspiring label of our generation but there is also the EXTREMELY high risk of the label turning into another Emanuel Ungaro. That would be disgusting.

 

[etceteraism]

Who knows how accurate what the person at the Vegas store said to me is, but it definitely gives us hope amongst all the questions of who could viably take over the line if they (ie Gucci Group) continues with it. But that's the big IF.

Sounds like the line didn't make them much money to begin with, so it could be they just use it as their chance to scrap it completely instead of risking a financial loss.

Squizree-I agree. If they can find someone who could truly take it over and do it well, I would like to see it continue. But if not...it might be better for the brand to "go out on top".

 

[Over the Sea]

I totally agree with you etceteraism.

 

[from: sophia]

In no way should they continue the brand this is my opinion but I feel like it just should not be done McQueen was such an individual that a continuation would not feel right. Its like an factory member assumed Warhol's name after he died and continued making art. I dont want McQueen to be forgotten but I feel that a new head designer even if they were one of the heads at the McQueen brand would be a poor decision. I do however want his F/W 10 collection shown at whatever point it was at on February 11th.

 

[isa.b.elle.]

^i couldn't agree more with you!

 

[rosalynn]

Good idea on starting this thread. There's a lot to say on this topic and it's probably best to keep it seperate from the other thread.

I have such mixed feelings about what should happen with the brand.

On one hand, it was a young brand and heavily influenced by Lee. I felt a lot of the pieces felt very intimate and charismatic as a result. Without Lee there, I do pitty whoever takes over - they'll be constantly compared to him, and however had they try, will never equal Lee for the simple reason that they're not Lee.

So in a way, McQueen without McQueen isn't McQueen. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to discontinue the brand.

But, on the other hand, I also think it would be a complete waste of all Lee's work to just close McQueen down. I think, as sad as it is, a lot of people will start discovering the McQueen brand now that he's died, and having built a solid bedrock of amazing pieces and designs, I hope they can build on McQueen's legacy. It would be lovely to see Lee live on through McQueen's clothes.

If whoever takes over is only capable of designing pieces 85% as well as Lee, then they're still going to be great clothes, and better than most design houses - such is the standard Lee worked to.

Nobody is going to be as good as Lee, but if it still brings value to fashion and doesn't discredit his name then I wouldn't object to McQueen carrying on.

I guess the worst thing that could happen is that the brand will continue, the quality will drop to the point McQueen will become like 'any other designer' - he was never 'any other designer' in all the years I followed him, so I hope that doesn't happen.

Watching the coverage of NYFW, it reminds me of just how much we're going to miss such a creative force. The S/S 05 RTW show with the giant chess board was absolutely inspired. He raised the bar in so many ways.

So yeah, I really don't know what should happen. I wouldn't object to McQueen the brand closing, but if it does continue they need to be careful with the legacy that has been handed down to them.

Sorry if you fell asleep reading that

 

[Lisa~~~*]

After Mr.Valentino's retirement , after G. Ferre's pass away and after Tom Ford left at Gucci, I haven't ever once seen a collecttion that is completely shine out the soul and the individuality spirit of the house in the same way these legendary fellows have done, not one collection, ever. I would hate to see this happen to Mcqueen, too.

 

[educo]

^^ I think it's more of a waste trying to keep the brand alive, actually. He said it in a recent interview about his Spring show that competitors can bring it on, because only HE has the mind of McQueen. Sure, that assistant designer could give it a whirl, but I'm positively sure she is under some real tight direction from McQueen himself, even if he doesn't have a hand in actually designing RTW. What would be left for her to do?? Rehash his previous collections? That would be blasphemous in my opinion, going back and rehashing the work of the most creative designer in the universe.

It would be a SHAME to see this turn into a revolving door of designers who will never be able to fit into this man's shoes. He is simply irreplaceable. THAT'S IT.

What I sincerely hope happens is that they show the upcoming collection as a tribute and that's it. No production, NOTHING, and let him and the house rest in peace.

The best thing we could do is continue being inspired by his work, his ethics and his passion for his art and PRAY on bloody knees that we would be graced with someone remotely as close to that in our lifetime.

 

[rosalynn]

Great post educo. Although I'm not sure what I want to happen with the brand, I think in my heart-of-hearts I'm inclined to agree with you. You're right that he's irreplaceable, the only thing I could hope for is that his standard of design was so high that there was the redundancy for it to drop slightly, and still be better than most other designers.

I guess if there is anyone able to fill McQueen's shoes, then they deserve to make it under their own name, anyway.

 

[educo]

Great post educo. Although I'm not sure what I want to happen with the brand, I think in my heart-of-hearts I'm inclined to agree with you. You're right that he's irreplaceable, the only thing I could hope for is that his standard of design was so high that there was the redundancy for it to drop slightly, and still be better than most other designers.

I guess if there is anyone able to fill McQueen's shoes, then they deserve to make it under their own name, anyway.

The tricky part about this is that it would not make McQueen's standards. Even in his death, that is still his house, creatively. He wouldn't stand for it alive, so why would anyone stand for it now that he is gone? The heart and soul has left the company and if it moves forward, the designs would be nothing but an empty shell.

And you're right, anyone who could fill McQueen's shoes should have their own house, their own name, hopefully with McQueen guiding the way...

 

[mackos]

but there is also the EXTREMELY high risk of the label turning into another Emanuel Ungaro. That would be disgusting.

That's right, I think this case is extremely fragile. I'm pretty biased about the whole thing, on one hand McQueen deserves to be remembered, but on the other creating McQueen collections not being himself sounds pretty impossible

 

[Squizree]

It's very different from replacing a label like Gucci or Valentino because the vision and the image that represent those houses are so easily accessible for modern day designers.

Alexander McQueen on the other hand has a very specific and very complex form of beauty; one that might possibly be only accessible by McQueen himself, making him ridiculously difficult to replace.

The safe thing to do is to just shut down the label and save it from suffering under the lead of someone else. But knowing Gucci Group and PPR I have a feeling that they'll milk the label for all its worth by turning it into another one of their highly commercial investments. Ugh, I don't even want to think about it.

 

[style_expert]

The Gucci Group is the owner of the Alexander McQueen brand and name. Ultimately, they will decide whether the business will be continued or not. We shouldn't forget the Gucci Group is a company and all they really want in the end is to make profit. And McQueen wasn't even making profit with his line until now, so now that he's passed away, chances are even slimmer the line is going to be profitable (unlike other GG brands like Gucci, Bottega Veneta, even Balenciaga now).

So I highly doubt they will continue the McQueen business in the end

 

[BerlinRocks]

No offense to the asst. of Lee, but I think the McQueen Story should stop with Lee himself.
What's the point otherwise ?
Gucci Group can eventually carry on the collaboration "McQueen" had (Puma, Samsonite etc.) and that's it ...

I have a question : Can Lee's will decide legally if his label carry on or not ? If there is a will, of course ....
Or is it all to the gucci group to decide what will happen ?

 

[style_expert]

^ I think Gucci Group has a major stake in the McQueen brand and therefore they probably own the name. So in the end they will decide it.

Similar to the situation with Jil Sander/ Prada some years ago, when Jil Sander sold her name and brand.

 

[rip_ian curtis]

I think it should not be continued. When the "brain"(aka something the whole thing is based on - designer's thoughts and view on world etc.) is out of the house, then there is not much the new designer can do to please the audience that McQueen originally attracted. The same has happened with Helmut Lang and Martin Margiela, and it's just tragic to look at the lifeless, shallow collections they make now under the great masters name.

 

[maxlinden]

i was going cray with the Question what happens next and then i saw this.
I think of McQueen as and artist and as designer with and unmistakable design esthetic. Even though I dont see his brand as an impire I do believe it was not vary far from happening and to stop now would be insane, however with that said i dont really see ANYONE taking his place. It would be sade to see His brand go but i rather that then some knockoff