A tragic Loss: Lee Alexander McQueen

I was shocked yesterday when I heard the news that Lee Alexander McQueen had killed himself. I was on the train at the time and started frantically trying to Google the news on my phone. 

It appears that he was so devastated by the death of his mother that he decided to take his own life - the day before her funeral. He had tweeted the news of her death and later admitted that he had had an awful week but his friends had been very supportive... "Now I have to somehow pull myself together".  McQueen had also previously struggled with the loss of close friend Isabella Blow in 2007.

McQueen was awarded 'British Designer of the Year' four times and also received a CBE. He was a great inspiration to British designers and will continue to influence many individuals for years to come. It is not known what will happen to the Alexander McQueen label but I am hopeful that it will continue to thrive. His latest collection was due to be shown during Paris Fashion Week in a few weeks.

I decided to take a walk down to Old Bond Street to visit the McQueen store, as I was in the area with some time to spare. The store was closed and the window display had been stripped away, leaving a blank window with a small sign announcing his death. 

"On behalf of Lee McQueen's family, Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand passed away.

Lee's family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media and the public will respect this."

A single candle was burning by the entrance and a few flowers had been left by the window...

I stood there for about 5 or 6 minutes and although it had been pretty quiet when I arrived, it seems many people had the same idea as me as it soon began to get busier although the atmosphere remained quiet and emotional.

To Mr Lee Alexander McQueen CBE.

RIP.