McQueen (2018)

Directed by: Ian Bonhote, Peter Ettedgui | 111 minutes | documentary, biography

As is often the case with extremely talented people, nothing in Lee Alexander McQueen’s young life indicated that he would become one of the world’s most influential and controversial fashion designers. With ‘McQueen’, filmmakers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui provide a clear and fascinating picture of the life of this still beloved couturier. From his young youth to his tragic death; with intimate home videos and the usual talking heads – after seeing ‘McQueen’ you’ll be all in the know.

The conventionality of this comprehensive documentary does rub off a bit. Although the images – especially those of the fashion shows – are breathtaking, the composition is not particularly sensational. The film clocks in at no less than 111 minutes, quite long for a documentary on this subject, but strangely enough, there is actually no scene too much. Each of the interviewees has fascinating information about Lee, as he was actually called, without too much repetition.

The best moments are therefore those of the spectacular fashion shows, in which you will undoubtedly navigate between ‘who the hell wears something like that’ to ‘how does it come on, this is actually very beautiful!’. Alexander McQueen was known for his fascination with death and violence. Controversial is his Highland Rape show, in which he sent his models onto the catwalk as if they had narrowly escaped being raped. With his last show, Plato’s Atlantis, he reinvented himself and created clothes that you could actually wear. Insanely beautiful dresses, outlandish shoes (okay, for the inveterate sneaker fan they are definitely unwearable), digitally printed reptile motifs, it’s sensational. What a talent this man had, who turned out to be so unhappy in his private life.

For those interested in fashion and contemporary art, ‘McQueen’ is not to be missed. The background information you get from family, friends and colleagues cannot be obtained from a Wikipedia page. While the line drawn may seem familiar to those who frequently watch these types of portraits of artists succumbing to the pitfalls of their fame (drugs, loneliness, depression), this documentary about the rebellious king of British fashion is well worth watching.