A Tribute to a Fiercely Talented Bloke!

Lee Alexander McQueen being interviewed by his mother Joyce from the Guardian UK.

Lee Alexander McQueen. The man encompassed all that I admire in design. He was British, talented (truly), prolific, creative, innovative, outrageous and clearly human.

The "Birth of Venus" dress from 2003 housed at the Met in New York.

Shoes from October 2009

As a fellow creative person it was shocking to hear of his untimely passing. I feel fortunate for this platform of a blog to help me process the shocking nature of a man gone way too quickly. He was a man in the prime of his career, and at the top of his professional game. Now all we have is the wonderful body of work he created. Love it or hate it, his work has brimmed with a spirit not seen previously. If you need convincing, look at his work in action here.

Pure beauty from Spring 2007.

A variation on the buttery theme dubbed "Hippy Chic".

Inspired by Harlequin Fall 2009.

Whenever I think of Mr. McQueen I can’t help but think of the iconic photo taken of him (and Isabella Blow) by visionary David LaChapelle early in his career. It gives a glimpse into the outrageous genius to come.

The iconic photo of Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow by David LaChapelle.

I have chosen to take this opportunity to present my own anthology (and personal favorites) of Mr. McQueen’s work. It is somewhat ironic that Barbara just recently used an image of his Butterfly hat in her post here which I would consider a favorite as well. Although I know that ”Lee” was so much more than his work, I hope that by looking at the work we can gain some insight into a person capable of such diverse beauty.

Mr. McQueen's "Skins" line for Samsonite.

A Union Jack evening bag with skull closure.

An ad campaign from Fall 2009.

My thoughts go out to members of his family, who have been hit doubly hard by the passing of his Mother the week before. Mr. McQueen, please rest in peace.

David Hansen

Butterflies Are Free!

Linda Evangelista communing with the butterflies.

A couple of months ago, I took a little “local adventure” - which by moi’s definition would be something within a 3-hour drive that promises to be so fabulous that I can’t stand not to see it. Of course, this is only local. I would go to the ends of the earth in a heartbeat, given the opportunity, to explore some thing or some place deemed wonderful.

Monarch butterflies in flight in Mexico-Image by Frans Lanting of Corbis.

Life magazine cover from 1907.

Blue Morpho butterflies.

And so it was, in November of 2009, that once and for all I made the trip to see the infamous Monarch butterflies at Pacific Grove near Carmel, California. Somehow I had imagined that seeing this miraculous spectacle of nature would take me to a higher consciousness in design (I may also feel this way about the swallows of Capistrano and all those salmon swimming upstream to spawn). It’s the miracle of Mother Nature – the greatest designer of them all, no? Alas, although I had triumphed in my quest to seek out the elusive butterfly en masse, this year’s spectacle was not as spectacular as promised – a mere 900 rather than the 9,000 seen in previous years. But it was absolutely monumental to think that, while gazing at these little creatures clinging together in “hives” among the tall Eucalyptus trees was the result the miracle of nature. There you go.

African butterflies whose wings operate in a similar way to LED lights.

Installation in the Dior Homme store in Paris.

Wood shavings made to look like butterflies. Via Paris Parfait. Image by Tara Bradford.

For many of us, just hearing the word butterfly instantly evokes an image of delicate beauty awash in exuberant color, either literally or figuratively. Be it through the medium of music, painting, or cuisine, the image of butterfly has been captured in fashion, jewelry, and interior design, to name a few.

Butterfly hat by Alexander McQueen.

Butterfly dress by Luly Yang.

The butterfly has adorned the clothing of the Queen of England and the Duchess of Windsor; after all, one variety is named “Monarch” – and why do you think that is? …because it is the King of the insect world - not by power, but by grace. Even though they are small creatures, they do phenomenal things. Just think that each autumn; thousands of these Monarch butterflies gather in southern Canada to migrate south, travelling thousands of miles just to overwinter in places such as Mexico, while others head for Cuba, Pacific Grove and Newark, California. Go figure.

Barbara Ashfield