A look at the life of fashion designer Alexander McQueen has given Limkokwing's Fashion and Retailing students on the Global University Campus programme in Limkokwing London new perspectives on the Fashion industry.
On Wednesday 7 October Limkokwing University took its Fashion and Retailing students to the Theatre Royal Haymarket to see ‘McQueen, The Play’.
Lee Alexander McQueen (1969-2010), was one of the UK’s top designers. Not only was he awarded the prestigious CBE by Queen Elizabeth II, he also won the ‘British Designer of the Year’ award four times and the ‘International Designer of the Year’ award once.
After leaving school at the age of sixteen, McQueen secured an apprenticeship at Saville Row tailors, Anderson and Sheppard, and from there the world of fashion truly become his. McQueen’s design tended to rail against the norm of high street fashion by throwing into question commonly accepted notions of beauty. He used grotesque red lips on his models and employed materials that gave an air of dirt rather than high-end fashion. Needless to say, his bold and unconventional designs brought him widespread attention and ushered in a new direction for fashion.
The Fashion and Retailing students in the Global University Campus programme in Limkokwing London are at the beginning of their own journey of inspiration and exploration. From the play, the students were tasked with using the fundamentals of fashion that they have learnt in class and to connect those fundamentals with unconventional ideas as embodied by McQueen in their final project designs.
Student Annabelle Sue Ngieng cited memorable quotes from the play when presenting her design ideas: “What is a dress? When you look in the mirror it makes you happier. It’s what you are and who you might be. It’s exactly who you were and who you’re gonna be.” Annabelle said that she wanted her creations to be able to help people see the beauty in life and to live another day, no matter what life throws in their ways.
One of the most important aspects of McQueen’s life that the students gleamed in the play was strong emotional connection people have with clothes. Using this emotional aspect in their designs, the Fashion and Retailing students were taught to use this emotional connection to further their creation’s brand marketing. By establishing bonds with consumers and eliminating insecurities through fashion, brands will have the power to maintain loyalty from their customers.