Alexander McQueen...gone.

Today one of my favorite modern designers, Alexander McQueen, died. I know usually I post fashion posts on my "nothing but lovely" blog, but this fashion incident has hit me...internally.

McQueen was 40 years old. He committed suicide. His work is one of absolute tortured brilliance, a creative mind far beyond that of "just a designer," yet he couldn't surpass his messy life story.
Alexander said he knew he was a fashion designer from the time he was six. For the too-few years he designed couture, there never ceased to be gowns that would drop my jaw. They were far beyond fashion shows: they told stories and confronted issues. His first show, "Highland Rape" was a bizarre...yet it was purposefully unsettling. In 2004, his models were all dancers...and they danced out in their costumes. Beautiful! Only a few years ago, he created a whole fashion show around a huge trash pile in the middle of the floor. What was he trying to say in all his designs? I'm trying to understand.
I know that he was in love with nature; that is obvious just from his pieces. He used birds all the time...feathers, wings, paintings of birds, literal stuffed birds perched in a model's hair. Flowers...gowns made completely from flowers, gowns with flowers painted on, flowers on faces and hair and shoes. Vines, trees, clouds...everything in the outdoors he was inspired by and included...so he saw it was lovely. Did he not see that the Creator of all that he admired was even more lovely?

A few years ago the woman who discovered him, named Katherine Blow, also committed suicide. Recently, he "married" his male partner, their union to last less than six months. On February 3rd, his mother died.
Obviously, things were not well with Alexander. With all that pain, he hung himself, only this morning.


A man with such uniqueness, such an eye for beauty. It hurts me more than I can sensibly express to see it all thrown away. Wasted. Only 40...so much ahead of him! To have the talent he had, and to see him slowly disintegrate...how can God not just sit up and heaven and cry?
I'm so sorry, God, for all of the captivating creativity you have so generously presented your children. I don't understand why we don't use for what you intended it and appreciate the gift.
I really don't understand.