Inquest into McQueen death continues

by Jim O'Reilly

The inquest into the death of fashion designer Alexander McQueen is set to continue this week at Westminster Coroner’s Court after a two-month adjournment.

McQueen was found dead at his central London home on  February 11 this year, the night before the funeral of his mother, Joyce. A note was found at the scene, the contents of which have not been released by police. The coroner at the first inquest only spoke to confirm the manner of the designer’s death. 

“At about 10.30am last Thursday February 11, a man was found hanging in his wardrobe at Flat 1, Green Street, London, W1,” said Linda Martindill, the coroner’s officer. “He was a single man, a fashion designer. He resided at Flat 1, 7 Green Street W1.”

Paul Armstrong, the detective inspector at the inquest, said that although police were not treating his death as suspicious, there was not yet a post-mortem report available. This will be reviewed when the inquest resumes on April 28.

The designer’s death shocked the fashion world, with a host of famous names paying tribute. A posthumous show of McQueen’s work was held at Paris fashion week in March, described by friends as a ‘memorial show’.

McQueen trained as a Savile Row tailor before joining the masters course in fashion design at Central St Martins in 1994, and his career was kick-started when the fashion designer Isabella Blow bought his entire degree collection shortly after he graduated.

“My relationship with McQueen began in 1994, when I went to a Saint Martins graduate show,” said Blow in an interview. “I couldn't get a seat, so I sat on the stairs and I was just watching, when I suddenly thought: I really like those clothes, they are amazing. It was his first collection. It was the tailoring and the movement which initially drew me to them.” 

Blow also committed suicide after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.

 
McQueen quickly became one of the world’s most famous and well-regarded names in fashion, first as the head of fashion house Givenchy, then as an independent designer for Gucci. He also created his own label, Alexander McQueen, which by the end of his life had boutiques all over the world. McQueen was made British Designer of the Year for four years in a row, and was awarded a CBE in 2003.