It is a strange thing, to mourn someone you never actually knew.
It feels a bit presumptuous to me, like I'm taking a liberty I don't deserve. I certainly never met Alexander McQueen; he was not a friend or acquaintance or even someone who got his coffee at the same Starbucks I did. I did not "know" him. And yet...
Alexander McQueen is one of my favorite artists. He was epically talented and endlessly creative and he possessed the gift that separates an artist from a mere talent -- the ability to express his inner life in his work in a way that moved & excited others, even those who never "knew" him.
That is what art does and what artists accomplish: they show us some essential part of themselves in their work and through that we make a connection; and they become meaningful to us, as though we knew them.
I am not going to offer opinions on the circumstances surrounding McQueen's death. It is pointless to try to understand why someone takes his own life, and more importantly, it is none of our business. I hope everyone will refrain from speculating on his motives or reasons, including in any comments you may leave here.
I am deeply, deeply saddened by the death of Alexander McQueen. If you've read my blog before you know that he is one of my very favorite designers. I did not review his last few collections, mostly because I was so moved and amazed and excited by them that I could not gather my thoughts into a coherent statement in a timely fashion. So I kept my yap shut. Maybe that's what I should do now...
I am sorry that we will not get to see more of Lee McQueen's art. I am sorry he is no longer here to affect the future of his art, in the way he pushed his own limits and in the way he influenced others. I am deeply sorry for his family and friends -- losing a loved one to suicide is an indescribably and unimaginably painful experience. Most of all, I am heartbroken to imagine the pain he must have been in to make the choice he did.
But like anyone I have ever mourned, I am grateful to have known him, even for only as long as I did.
8 comments:
beautifully put, as always.
If I could have just one item to remember him by... I think it would be that gorgeous red and black feather dress. You?
Thanks, Style Spy. A beautiful, thoughtful note on the passing of one of fashion's true geniuses.
Thank you for this post, I'm still saddened by the loss of McQueen. He was a genius and I don't use that word easily.
What a lovely, lovely tribute with all of those fantastic detail shots. So strange, so mesmerizing.
It really is a sad thing that he's dead. He created wonderful things.
Beautiful homane Style Spy.
While I agree it is pointless to try to understand why someone takes his own life in the case of a celebrity like McQueen, it is not pointless if you know the person intimately. My family and I have been there. Otherwise, the guilt and blaming can destroy them.
Thank you for this affecting tribute. I share the deep sense of sadness over not being able to see any more of his work.
FABULOUS pictures and Fablous tribute
merci indeed
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