Fashion is art. Disagree and I’d politely direct your attention to the fantastical runway shows of Alexander McQueen, the one time enfant terrible of British fashion whose body of work alone validates fashion as an art form. True, few designers can illuminate your own humanity with the same poignancy as an artist, but McQueen’s work, aesthetically pleasing though it may have been, stared unflinchingly at the Id. Grotesque fantasies were presented with humanity. Regal fairy tales, with an undercurrent of dread. “Dreams and demons” Anna Wintour would later surmise of his work – that curious duality that not only defined McQueen as a designer but, indeed, as a person. Cerebral, ambitiously realized and absolutely, unshakably possessed by that unnamed other, McQueen’s work represents the creative apex of modern fashion and when viewed as a vehicle for mood, thought and old world craftsmanship it cannot be seen as anything less than art.
It goes without saying then, that when McQueen hanged himself earlier this year, the fashion world lost one of it’s greatest visionaries. And at 11am yesterday morning, the fashion world paid tribute to McQueen’s life and work at a private memorial service held in St Paul’s Cathedral, London.
Reports Vogue UK: “Addresses were given by Anna Wintour, Shaun Leane (who described their relationship as like that of Bill Sykes and the Artful Dodger), Suzy Menkes and Annabelle Nielson, while Jonathan Akeroyd – ceo of Alexander McQueen – and Philip Treacy contributed to the prayers. Bjork, dressed as an angel, gave a poignant and outstanding performance of Gloomy Sunday.”
Aside from the aforementioned and McQueen’s closest family and friends, supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell as well as designer Stella McCartney and actress Sarah Jessica Parker were also in attendance.
