McQueen’s Greatest Moments of the 90s

Lee Alexander McQueen is the uncontested most polarizing name in fashion. Quickly rising to fame in the mid 1990s for the exquisite vulgarity and morbidity of his eponymous brand, he was soon tapped by Givenchy to lead the helm as their creative director. While balancing the blasphemous beauty of McQueen and reimagining the old world elegance of Givenchy, he drew the eyes of the world to fashion in a way that had never been seen before: a new, golden era of couture and supermodels. 

As today’s trends revert back to precedents set in the 90s, it is both helpful and fascinating to revisit some of the great archival collections that defined the era. Although I could sing the praises of each of his early shows, two of McQueen’s most iconic are his Fall 1998 collection ‘Joan’ and his Spring 1997 Givenchy Couture collection ‘Search for the Golden Fleece.’ 

Givenchy took a great creative risk by inviting fashion’s l’enfant terrible to join the classic Parisian maison, and everyone was anxious to see his first collection. While maintaining some of the shock value of nudity and extravagance held by his own label, he managed to impress the masses by presenting a truly gorgeous and timeless couture collection. Drawing inspiration from the great Greek myths, the looks in ‘Search for the Golden Fleece’ are marked by rich gold silks, celestial white robes, bustier-like armor, and eccentric animalistic headpieces; McQueen transformed the models into goddesses. 

Arriving from another dimension entirely, McQueen’s ‘Joan’ collection was heralded as the most unnerving show in fashion history. Paying homage to the executions of Joan of Arc and the Romanov family, this collection is strikingly macabre. He relied on chain mail, heavy black and red fabrics, apocalyptic wigs, and demonically red contact lenses to channel the darkness of the inspirations. The final gown is displayed from within a ring of fire, harkening back to Joan of Arc’s execution by being burned at the stake, and remains one of the most talked about fashion moments of all time.

Few have left an impact on fashion as remarkable as McQueen; these collections are two of the most significant in archival fashion. They are also my personal favorite shows. McQueen was a genius as well as my greatest role model and inspiration, may he rest in peace.

Written by: Dawson Cole

Edited by: Josie Gruber