Fashion Loses Royalty

The fashion world lost an icon on Thursday morning as 40-year old designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home. And the red carpet will never be the same.

It is too early to tell why Alexander McQueen is gone. Some might say he died of a broken heart. He passed just days after his mother Joyce died and three years after his best friend Isabella Blow, a fellow designer who discovered him and helped launch his career, committed suicide in May 2007. It has not been reported how McQueen left the fashion world, but those that knew him are shocked and beyond devastated.

If you aren't familiar with Alexander by name, you would certainly recognize his eclectic work. Every one of his looks made a statement, drew your attention; He was a red carpet staple. Sometimes you loved it, sometimes you hated it. But nonetheless his looks made you look twice. You remembered them. He was the epitome of a fashion designer. He took risks. You might remember Sarah Jessica Parker's green dress at the London premiere of Sex & the City. You know...when she rocked the bird-like thing on her head (McQueen did not design the hat). Or SJP's Scottish-inspired gown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (McQueen was her date to the event). Alexander was a favorite of our Carrie Bradshaw. Celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes, Thandie Newton, Sienna Miller, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Mischa Barton, Naomi Campbell, Miranda Kerr, Kate Bosworth have all rocked his designs on the red carpet. Even as recently as the 2010 SAG Awards in which Sandra Bullock stunned in his black and blue gown, and of course took home the Best Actress award that night.

He was known for this exquisite, couture-like, over the top fashions, but his designs go beyond his red carpet looks. He had an extensive line of shoes and they rocked. McQueen also teamed up with PUMA to create a line of training shoes called Power. Before he made a name for himself he the head designer at Givenchy in 1996, then joined with Gucci, and they ultimatelylaunched his line. He teamed up with MAC in 2007 and was the first designer to be involved with the promotion of cosmetic releases created by fashion designers. The line was called McQueen and was egyptian-style inspired by Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra. Shows why the man was named British designer of the year four times between 1996 and 2003. And he left too soon.