McQueen: The Illustrated History of the Fashion Icon

by Tom Rasmussen, R. Song (Illustrator)

This book is an illustrated look at the life, loves, fashion moments, and ultimate tragedy of one of fashion’s greatest stars.

The savage beauty of his creative vision stunned and shocked the fashion world for over 15 years, with his avant-garde theatricality leading many to call him the enfant terrible of British fashion. He created fashion moments which have not faded from memory, like David Bowie’s Union Jack coat from 1996, Sarah Jessica Parker’s tartan Met Gala dress from 2006, and Lady Gaga in those alien armadillo shoes in the “Bad Romance” video clip in 2009.

But before he was Alexander McQueen, he was Lee Alexander McQueen, the boy from London who dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. He worked his way up from making suits on Savile Row to starting his own fashion label and becoming one of the youngest designers ever to win the award for British Womenswear Designer of the Year.

The Illustrated History of a Fashion Icon  tells Lee Alexander McQueen’s story through the gorgeous illustrations of R. Song and text by Tom Rasmussen, charting the rise of McQueen through his life, his loves, his friendships, his struggles, his models, and his biggest fashion moments, before his deeply sad death at the age of 40 in 2010.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published April 17, 2018

Reviews

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pictorial account - almost a graphic novel - about Lee Alexander McQueen's life and work. It gives a great overview of McQueen's impact on the fashion business: both how he changed it and the legacy he left behind. It also provides a thorough overview of his collections and how the catwalk shows were presented. I learnt a few things that I previously did not know.
It is a little scant on biographical details. I imagine you would need to read a proper biography of McQueen for a more in depth look into his relationships with his fashion collaborators. On occasion the book is repetitive, with several paragraphs stating McQueen's genius. But on the whole it is a great introduction to the designer and his work by Rasmussen, which is pleasingly illustrated by R. Song.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though illustrated, I still expected some substance. This book without the illustrations could have been condensed to a single magazine article. It felt rather like reading a biography intended for children. Had the illustrations been more numerous or focused more on McQueen’s collections, the lack of substance could have been overlooked. As is, the book was underwhelming to say the least.