The 16th Empire Awards (AKA Jameson Empire Awards), honoring the best in film in 2010, were held on March 27, 2011^[1] at the Grosvenor House Hotel^[1] and hosted by Dara Ó Briain.^[2] Below is a complete list of nominees and winners. Winners are highlighted in bold.

Winners and Nominees[link]

Best Film[link]

Inception^[3]

• Kick-Ass^[3]
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World^[3]
• The King's Speech^[3]
• The Social Network^[3]

Best British Film[link]

Kick-Ass^[4]

• 127 Hours^[4]
• Four Lions^[4]
• Monsters^[4]
• The King's Speech^[4]

Best Comedy[link]

Four Lions^[5]

• Easy A^[5]
• Get Him to the Greek^[5]
• The Other Guys^[5]
• Toy Story 3^[5]

Best Horror[link]

The Last Exorcism^[6]

• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• Let Me In^[6]
• Paranormal Activity 2^[6]
• The Crazies^[6]

Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy[link]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1^[7]

• Alice in Wonderland^[7]
• Inception^[7]
• Kick-Ass^[7]
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World^[7]

Best Thriller[link]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo^[8]

• 127 Hours^[8]
• Black Swan^[8]
• Shutter Island^[8]
• The Town^[8]
• Insidious

Best Actor[link]

Colin Firth — The King's Speech^[9]

• Aaron Johnson — Kick-Ass^[9]
• James Franco — 127 Hours^[9]
• Jesse Eisenberg — The Social Network^[9]
• Leonardo DiCaprio — Inception^[9]

Best Actress[link]

Noomi Rapace — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo^[10]

• Emma Watson — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1^[10]
• Helena Bonham Carter — The King's Speech^[10]
• Natalie Portman — Black Swan^[10]
• Olivia Williams — The Ghost Writer^[10]

Best Director[link]

Edgar Wright — Scott Pilgrim vs. the World^[11]

• Christopher Nolan — Inception^[11]
• David Fincher — The Social Network^[11]
• Matthew Vaughn — Kick-Ass^[11]
• Tom Hooper — The King's Speech^[11]

Best Newcomer[link]

Chloë Moretz — Kick-Ass and Let Me In^[12]

• Gareth Edwards — Monsters^[12]
• Jaden Smith — The Karate Kid^[12]
• Jennifer Lawrence — Winter's Bone^[12]
• Mia Wasikowska — Alice in Wonderland^[12]

Done In 60 Seconds Award[link]

127 Hours by Maeve Stam (Netherlands)^[13]

• Avatar by Valentina Kurochkina (Russia)^[14]
• Raiders of the Lost Ark by Samuel Heiligers (Sweden)^[14]
• The Exorcist by Lee Hardcastle (UK)^[14]
• The Lion King by Michael Whaite (UK)^[14]

Special Awards[link]

Empire Hero Award[link]

Keira Knightley^[15]

Inspiration Award[link]

Edgar Wright^[16]

Icon Award[link]

Gary Oldman^[17]

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Jameson Empire Awards 2011 official website
• Empire Awards 2011 - IMDb

Empire Award
17th Empire Awards
220px An Empire award
Awarded for	Excellence in cinematic achievements
Presented by	Empire
Country	United Kingdom
First awarded	1996
Last awarded	March 25, 2012 (2012-03-25)
Official website	2012 Official website

An Empire Award is an accolade bestowed by Empire, Britain's biggest selling film magazine, to recognize excellence of professionals in the local and global film industry. The awards are voted for by readers of the magazine and in an annual ceremony, the Empire Awards, the winners are presented with the award which is covered by Empire and sometimes also televised. They were sponsored by Sony Ericsson^[1] between the 8th and the 13th Empire Awards with the exception of the 12th which was without a ceremony,^[2] and since the 14th Empire Awards are sponsored by Jameson Irish Whiskey.^[3]

The first Empire Awards ceremony was held on 1996, to honour outstanding film achievements of the 1995 film season. The most recent ceremony, honouring films in 2011, was held at Grosvenor House Hotel on March 25, 2012.

Empire Awards categories[link]

Award categories as of 2012[link]

• Best Actor: 1996 to present
• Best Actress: 1996 to present
• Best British Film: 1996 to present; In 2002 it was known as "Sky Movies Best British Film"
• Best Comedy: 2006 to present
• Best Director: 1996 to present
• Best Film: 1996 to present
• Best Horror: 2006 to present
• Best Newcomer: 1996 to present; It was known as "Best Debut" from 1996 to 2002; in 2007 it was split to "Best Male Newcomer" and "Best Female Newcomer"
• Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy: 2006 to present; In 2009 it was known as "Best Sci-Fi/Superhero"
• Best Thriller: 2006 to present
• Done In 60 Seconds Award: 2008 to present

Retired awards[link]

• Best British Actor: 1996 to 2005
• Best British Actress: 1996 to 2005
• Best British Director: 1997 to 2001; 2005
• Sony Ericsson Scene of the Year: 2003 to 2007; In 2007 it was known as "Scene Of The Year"
• Sony Ericsson Soundtrack Award: to 2008 - 2009; In 2009 it was known as "Best Soundtrack"

Special Empire Awards[link]

Current special awards[link]

• Empire Hero Award: 2010 to present
• Empire Inspiration Award: 1997; 1999 to 2002; 2004 to 2006; 2008; 2010 to present
• Icon Award: 2006; 2008 to present

Retired special awards[link]

• Actor Of Our Lifetime: 2009 only
• Contribution to Cinema: 2000 only; Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema: 2005 to 2006; Outstanding Contribution To British Film from 2008 to 2010
• Empire Career Achievement Award: 2004 only
• Empire Independent Spirit Award: 2002 to 2005
• Empire Lifetime Achievement Award: 1996 to 2004; 2006;
• Empire Movie Masterpiece: 1999 to 2000
• Heath Ledger Tribute: 2009 only
• Icon of the Decade: 2005 only

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Jameson Empire Awards 2012 official website (current ceremony)
• Empire Awards at IMDb

The Edge
Background information
Birth name	David Howell Evans
Born	(1961-08-08) 8 August 1961 (age 50) Barking, Essex, England, United Kingdom
Origin	County Dublin, Ireland
Genres	Rock, post-punk, alternative rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, activist
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, keyboards, piano, bass guitar
Years active	1976–present
Labels	Island, Mercury
Associated acts	U2, Passengers
Website	www.u2.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Explorer Fender Stratocaster Gibson Les Paul Fender Telecaster Gretsch Country Gentleman Gretsch White Falcon Rickenbacker 330/12

David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), more widely known by his stage name The Edge (or just Edge),^[1] is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record. As a guitarist, The Edge has crafted a minimalistic and textural style of playing. His use of a rhythmic delay effect yields a distinctive ambient, chiming sound that has become a signature of U2's music.

The Edge was born in England to a Welsh family, but was raised in Ireland after moving there as an infant. In 1976, at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, he formed U2 with his fellow students and his older brother Dik. Inspired by the ethos of punk rock and its basic arrangements, the group began to write its own material. They eventually became one of the most popular acts in popular music, with successful albums such as 1987's The Joshua Tree and 1991's Achtung Baby. Over the years, The Edge has experimented with various guitar effects and introduced influences from several genres of music into his own style, including American roots music, industrial music, and alternative rock. With U2, The Edge has also played keyboards, co-produced their 1993 record Zooropa, and occasionally contributed lyrics. The Edge met his second and current wife, Morleigh Steinberg, through her collaborations with the band.

As a member of U2 and as an individual, The Edge has campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes. He co-founded Music Rising, a charity to support musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. He has collaborated with U2 bandmate Bono on several projects, including songs for Roy Orbison and Tina Turner, and the soundtracks to the musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and the Royal Shakespeare Company's London stage adaptation of A Clockwork Orange. In 2011, Rolling Stone magazine placed him at number 38 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

Personal life[link]

The Edge at a U2 concert in Anaheim (2005)

David Howell Evans was born at the Barking Maternity Hospital,^[2] Essex, England to Welsh parents Garvin and Gwenda Evans.^[1] When he was one, his family moved to County Dublin, Ireland where he attended St Andrew's National School. He received piano and guitar lessons and often performed with his brother Dik Evans before they both answered an advertisement posted by Larry Mullen, Jr. at their school, Mount Temple Comprehensive School, seeking musicians to form a band.^[3] The band accepted both of them. This band went through several incarnations before emerging as U2 in March 1978 (Dik Evans left the band just before the name change).^[3] U2 began performing in various venues in Ireland and eventually began developing a following. Their debut album, Boy, was released in 1980.

In 1981, leading up to the October tour, Evans came very close to leaving U2 for religious reasons, but he decided to stay.^[3] During this period, he became involved with a group called Shalom Tigers, in which bandmates Bono and Larry Mullen Jr. were also involved.^[4] Shortly after deciding to remain with the band, he wrote a piece of music that later became "Sunday Bloody Sunday".^[3] The Edge married his high school girlfriend Aislinn O'Sullivan on 12 July 1983.^[5] The couple had three daughters together: Hollie in 1984, Arran in 1985 and Blue Angel in 1989.^[4] The couple separated in 1990, but were unable to get officially divorced because of Irish laws regarding marriage annulment; divorce was legalised in 1995 and the couple were legally divorced in 1996.^[4]

In 1993, The Edge began dating Morleigh Steinberg, a professional dancer and choreographer employed by the band as a belly dancer during the Zoo TV Tour. They had a daughter, Sian (born 1997), and a son, Levi (born 25 October 1999),^[4] before marrying on 22 June 2002.^[4] He appeared in the 2009 music documentary film It Might Get Loud.^[6] The Edge has been criticized for his efforts to build five luxury mansions on a 156 acre plot of land in Malibu, California.^[7] The California Coastal Commission voted 8-4 against the plans, with the project described by the commission's executive director, Peter Douglas, as "In 38 years...one of the three worst projects that I've seen in terms of environmental devastation...It's a contradiction in terms – you can't be serious about being an environmentalist and pick this location."^[7] The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy agreed to remain neutral on the issue following a $1 million donation from The Edge and a commitment from The Edge to designate 100 acres of the land as open space for public footpaths.^[7]

Music style[link]

Guitar playing[link]

As a guitar player, The Edge has a sound typified by a low-key playing style, a chiming, shimmering sound (thanks in part to the sound of VOX AC-30s) that he achieves with extensive use of delay effects and reverb. The feedback delay is often set to a dotted eighth note (3/16 of a measure), and the feedback gain is adjusted until a note played repeats two or three times.^{[citation needed]}

On 1987's The Joshua Tree, The Edge often contributes just a few simple lead lines given depth and richness by an ever-present delay. For example, the introduction to "Where the Streets Have No Name" is simply a repeated six-note arpeggio, broadened by a modulated delay effect. The Edge has said that he views musical notes as "expensive", in that he prefers to play as few notes as possible. He said in 1982 of his style,

"I like a nice ringing sound on guitar, and most of my chords I find two strings and make them ring the same note, so it's almost like a 12-string sound. So for E I might play a B, E, E and B and make it ring. It works very well with the Gibson Explorer. It's funny because the bass end of the Explorer was so awful that I used to stay away from the low strings, and a lot of the chords I played were very trebly, on the first four, or even three strings. I discovered that through using this one area of the fretboard I was developing a very stylized way of doing something that someone else would play in a normal way."^[9]

Many different influences have shaped The Edge's guitar technique.^{[citation needed]} His first guitar was an old acoustic guitar that his mother bought him at a local flea market for only a few pounds; he was nine at the time. He and his brother Dik Evans both experimented with this instrument.^[9] He said in 1982 of this early experimentation, "I suppose the first link in the chain was a visit to the local jumble sale where I purchased a guitar for a pound. That was my first instrument. It was an acoustic guitar and me and my elder brother Dik both played it, plonking away, all very rudimentary stuff, open chords and all that."^[9] The Edge has stated that many of his guitar parts are based around guitar effects. This is especially true from the Achtung Baby era onwards, although much of the band's 1980s material made heavy use of echos.

Vocals[link]

The Edge in June 2005

The Edge also supplies the backing vocals for U2. U2's 1983 live album and video release, Under a Blood Red Sky and Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky are good reference points for his singing (as are the live DVDs from the Elevation Tour, U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle and Elevation 2001: Live from Boston). For example, he sings the chorus to "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (Bono harmonizes on the final 'Sunday'). U2 used this tradeoff technique later in "Bullet the Blue Sky" as well. His backing vocals are sometimes in the form of a repeated cry; examples of songs that use this approach include "Beautiful Day", "New Year's Day" and "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)". Another technique he uses in his backing vocals is the falsetto, in songs such as "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of", "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own", "A Man and a Woman", "The Wanderer", live versions of "The Fly", and "Window in the Skies".

The Edge sings the lead vocal on "Van Diemen's Land" and "Numb", the first half of the song "Seconds", dual vocals with Bono in "Discotheque", and the bridge in the song "Miracle Drug".^[4] He also sings the occasional lead vocal in live renditions of other songs (such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday" during the PopMart Tour and "Party Girl" during the Rotterdam Zoo TV show when it was Bono's birthday).^[10] He also plays a solo acoustic version of the song "Love is Blindness" that is featured in the documentary film From the Sky Down.

Other instruments[link]

He has played piano and keyboards on many of the band's songs, including "I Fall Down", "October", "So Cruel", "New Year's Day", "Running to Stand Still", "Miss Sarajevo", "The Hands that Built America", and "Original of the Species" and others. He plays the organ on "Please". In live versions of "New Year's Day", "The Unforgettable Fire", "Your Blue Room", and "Moment of Surrender", he plays both the piano and guitar parts alternately. In most live versions of "Original of the Species," piano is the only instrument played during the song. Although The Edge is the band's lead guitarist, he occasionally plays bass guitar, including the live performances of the song "40" where The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton switch instruments.

Solo recordings[link]

In addition to his regular role within U2, The Edge has also recorded with such artists as Johnny Cash, B. B. King, Tina Turner, Ronnie Wood, Jay-Z, and Rihanna. The Edge connected with Brian Eno and Lanois collaborator Michael Brook (the creator of the infinite guitar, which he regularly uses), working with him on the score to the film Captive (1986). From this soundtrack the song "Heroine", the vocal of which was sung by a young Sinéad O'Connor was released as a single.

He also created the theme song for season one and two of The Batman. He and fellow U2 member, Bono, wrote the lyrics to the theme of the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye. The Edge, along with bandmate Bono, recently composed a musical adaptation of Spider-Man. On May 25, 2011, a single titled Rise Above 1: Reeve Carney Featuring Bono and The Edge was released digitally.^[11] The music video was released on July 28, 2011.^[12]

Musical equipment[link]

Edge's 1964 Vox AC30 on stage in Foxborough for the U2 360° Tour.

The Edge plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, piano, bass guitar (on "40" and "Race Against Time") and lap steel guitar. Compared to many lead guitarists, The Edge is known for using many more guitars during a show. According to his guitar tech Dallas Schoo, a typical lead guitarist uses four or five different guitars in one night, whereas The Edge takes 45 on the road, and uses 17 to 19 in one 2.5-hour concert. He is estimated to have more than 200 guitars in the studio.^{[citation needed]}

Philanthropy[link]

In 2005, The Edge along with Bob Ezrin and Henry Juszkiewicz co-founded Music Rising, a charity that helped provide replacement instruments for those that were lost in Hurricane Katrina. The instruments were originally only replaced for professional musicians but they soon realized the community churches and schools needed instruments as well. The charity's slogan is "Rebuilding the Gulf Region note by note" and has so far helped over a hundred musicians who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Edge also serves on the board of the Angiogenesis Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving global health by advancing angiogenesis-based medicine, diets, and lifestyle.^[13]

See also[link]

• Timeline of U2
• List of people on stamps of Ireland

References[link]

Footnotes

Bibliography

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (October 2011)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The Edge

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Edge

• U2.com, official U2 site
• Music Rising
• The Edge at the Internet Movie Database
• The Edge – Album Credits
• A Study of The Edge's Guitar Delay
• The Edge: 'It's all about the vision'
• Food Bank For New York City public service announcement
• Comment on the mathematical analysis of The Edge's guitar sound

Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen at his Fall 2009 collection
Born	Lee Alexander McQueen (1969-03-17)17 March 1969 Lewisham, London, United Kingdom
Died	11 February 2010(2010-02-11) (aged 40)[1] Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Residence	Mayfair London
Nationality	British
Education	Central Saint Martins
Occupation	Fashion designer
Parents	Joyce McQueen (deceased, 1934–2010) Ronald McQueen
Awards	British Fashion Designer of the Year Commander of the Order of the British Empire Council of Fashion Designers of America International Designer of the Year 2003
Labels	Alexander McQueen, McQ

Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier best known for his in-depth knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, his tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his collections, as well as the emotional power and raw energy of his provocative fashion shows.^[opinion][2] He is also known for having worked as chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001 and for founding his own Alexander McQueen label.^[2] His achievements in fashion earned him four British Designer of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003), as well as the CFDA's International Designer of the Year award in 2003.^[2]

Early life and education[link]

Born on 17 March 1969 in Lewisham, London, to Scottish^[3] taxi driver Ronald^[4] and social science teacher Joyce, McQueen was the youngest of six children.^[5][6] He grew up in a council flat^[7] in a tower block in Stratford.^[8] He attended Carpenters Road Primary School, started making dresses for his three sisters at a young age, and announced his intention to become a fashion designer.^[9]

McQueen later attended Rokeby School and left aged 16 in 1984 with one O-level in art,^[5] going on to serve an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard, before joining Gieves & Hawkes and, later, the theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans.^[10] The skills he learned as an apprentice on Savile Row helped earn him a reputation in the fashion world as an expert in creating an impeccably tailored look. ^[11]

Career[link]

While on Savile Row, McQueen's clients included Mikhail Gorbachev and Prince Charles. At the age of 20 he spent a period of time working for Koji Tatsuno before travelling to Milan, Italy and working for Romeo Gigli.^[9]

McQueen returned to London in 1994 and applied to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, to work as a pattern cutter tutor. Because of the strength of his portfolio he was persuaded by the Head of the Masters course to enroll in the course as a student.^[9] He received his masters degree in fashion design and his graduation collection was bought in its entirety by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who was said to have persuaded McQueen to become known as Alexander (his middle name) when he subsequently launched his fashion career.^[6][9] It was shortly after creating his second collection,“McQueen's Theatre of Cruelty", that McQueen met Katy England, his soon to be "right hand woman",^[12] when outside of a "high profile fashion show" trying to "blag her way in".^[13] He promptly asked her to join him for his third collection, "The Birds" at Kings Cross, as "creative director".^[13] Katy England continued to work with McQueen thereafter, greatly influencing his work – his "second opinion".^[12]

Icelandic singer Björk sought McQueen's work for the cover of her album Homogenic in 1997.^[14] McQueen also directed the music video for her song "Alarm Call" from the same album.^[15]

Camilla Belle in a 2009 dress by Alexander McQueen, listed among "100 Best Dresses of the Decade" by InStyle magazine.^[16]

McQueen's early runway collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics (earning the title "l'enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion"),^[4] with trousers aptly named "bumsters" and a collection titled "Highland Rape".^[5][17][18] In 2004, journalist Caroline Evans also wrote of McQueen's "theatrical staging of cruelty", in 032c magazine, referring to his dark and tortured renderings of Scottish history.^[19] McQueen was known for his lavish, unconventional runway shows: a recreation of a shipwreck for his spring 2003 collection; spring 2005's human chess game; and his fall 2006 show "Widows of Culloden", which featured a life-sized hologram of supermodel Kate Moss dressed in yards of rippling fabric.^[20]

McQueen's "bumsters" spawned a trend in low rise jeans; on their debut they attracted many comments and debate.^[11] Michael Oliveira-Salac, the director of Blow PR and a friend of McQueen's said, "The bumster for me is what defined McQueen."^[11] McQueen also became known for using skulls in his designs. A scarf bearing the motif became a celebrity must-have and was copied around the world.^[11]

McQueen has been credited with bringing drama and extravagance to the catwalk.^[11] He used new technology and innovation to add a different twist to his shows and often shocked and surprised audiences. The silhouettes that he created have been credited for adding a sense of fantasy and rebellion to fashion.^[11] McQueen became one of the first designers to use Indian models in London.^[11]

McQueen also designed a range of dresses under the name of "manta", priced at around £2800. The line, named after the manta ray, was inspired by a holiday McQueen took in the Maldives in 2009. The designs have been worn by various models and celebrities, including Lily Cole.^[21]

VOSS[link]

McQueen's most celebrated and dramatic catwalk show was his 2001 spring/summer collection, named VOSS. The centre piece tableaux that dominated the room was an enormous glass box. But because the room outside the box was lit and the inside of the box was unlit, the glass walls appeared as large mirrors, so that the seated audience saw only their own reflection. Finally, after an hour, and when the show began, lights came on in inside the enormous glass case and revealed the interior to be filled with moths and, at the centre, a naked model on a chaise longue with her face obscured by a gas mask. The glass walls then fell away and smashed on the ground.

The model chosen by McQueen to be the centre of the show was the British writer Michelle Olley. (The show also featured Kate Moss and Erin O'Connor). McQueen said that the tableaux was based on the Joel Peter Witkin image Sanitarium.^[22] The British fashion photographer Nick Knight later said of the VOSS show on his SHOWstudio.com blog:

"The girl in the box was Michelle Olley. She modelled for me in a story I did called Sister Honey... She was a writer and I remember she wrote a great piece on being the Butterfly Girl in the middle of that (McQueen) Glass Box show. I was sat on the front row, inbetween Alexandra Schulman and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was is probably one of the best pieces of Fashion Theatre I have ever witnessed." ^[23]

Alexander McQueen later described his thoughts on the idea used during VOSS of forcing his audience to stare at their own reflection in the mirrored walls for over an hour:

"Ha! I was really pleased about that. I was looking at it on the monitor, watching everyone trying not to look at themselves. It was a great thing to do in the fashion industry—turn it back on them! God, I’ve had some freaky shows.” ^[24]

In spring 2011, Michelle Olley was asked by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to contribute to their Alexander McQueen exhibition, Savage Beauty.^[25] She was interviewed by The Met about VOSS for the audio guide to the show. Olley's detailed diary/journal of modelling for McQueen - written between Sept 18-27 as the show was being planned and staged - was included in the Met Museum website coverage of the Savage Beauty exhibition.^[26] The VOSS diary relates details of the show and encounters with McQueen, ending with how Olley returned home after the show to find:

"...a MASSIVE bouquet of flowers has arrived, with a note [from McQueen] saying, “Thank you for everything – you were beautiful! – Lee xxx” " ^[27]

Givenchy appointment[link]

The president of LVMH, Bernard Arnault, caused a stir when he appointed McQueen head designer at Givenchy in 1996, succeeding John Galliano.^[9] Upon arrival at Givenchy, McQueen insulted the founder by calling him "irrelevant". His first couture collection with Givenchy was unsuccessful, with even McQueen telling Vogue in October 1997 that the collection was "crap". McQueen toned down his designs at Givenchy, but continued to indulge his rebellious streak, causing controversy in autumn 1998 with a show which included spraying paint over white cotton dresses and double amputee model Aimee Mullins striding down the catwalk on intricately carved wooden legs.^[9][18] Givenchy designs released by Vogue Patterns during this period may be credited to the late designer.^[28] McQueen stayed with Givenchy until March 2001, when the contract he said was "constraining his creativity" ended.^[9]

Accomplishments[link]

Some of McQueen's accomplishments included being one of the youngest designers to achieve the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won four times between 1996 and 2003;^[10] he was also awarded the CBE and named International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers in 2003.^[29]

December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen, with the Gucci Group's acquiring 51% of his company and McQueen's serving as Creative Director.^[5] Plans for expansion included the opening of stores in London, Milan and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom and, most recently, My Queen. In 2005, McQueen collaborated with Puma to create a special line of trainers for the shoe brand.^[30] In 2006 he launched McQ, a younger, more renegade lower priced line for men and women.

McQueen became the first designer to participate in MAC's promotion of cosmetic releases created by fashion designers. The collection, McQueen, was released on 11 October 2007 and reflected the looks used on the Autumn/Winter McQueen catwalk. The inspiration for the collection was the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor movie Cleopatra, and thus the models sported intense blue, green, and teal eyes with strong black liner extended Egyptian-style. McQueen handpicked the makeup.

Company[link]

By the end of 2007, Alexander McQueen had boutiques in London, New York, Los Angeles, Milan and Las Vegas. Celebrity patrons, including Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker and Rihanna, J-pop queens such as Ayumi Hamasaki, Namie Amuro, and Koda Kumi have frequently been spotted wearing Alexander McQueen clothing to events.^[31] Björk, Ayumi Hamasaki and Lady Gaga have often incorporated Alexander McQueen pieces in their music videos.^[32] By wearing his designs, celebrities such as the above mentioned have further increased the notability of the McQueen brand.

Personal life[link]

McQueen was openly gay and said he realized his sexual orientation when he was six years old.^[33] He told his family when he was 18 and, after a rocky period, they accepted his sexuality.^[5] He described coming out at a young age by saying, "I was sure of myself and my sexuality and I've got nothing to hide. I went straight from my mother's womb onto the gay parade".^[34]

In the summer of 2000, McQueen had a marriage ceremony with his partner George Forsyth, a documentary filmmaker, on a yacht in Ibiza.^[35] The marriage was not official, as same-sex marriage in Spain was not legal then. The relationship ended a year later and McQueen and Forsyth maintained a close friendship.^[36]

McQueen received press attention after the May 2007 suicide of international style icon Isabella Blow. Rumours were published that there was a rift between McQueen and Blow at the time of her death, focusing on McQueen's under-appreciation of Blow.^[37] In response to these rumours, McQueen told an interviewer:^[20]

It's so much bollocks. These people just don't know what they're talking about. They don't know me. They don't know my relationship with Isabella. It's complete bullshit. People can talk; you can ask her sisters ... That part of the industry, they should stay away from my life, or mine and Isabella's life. What I had with Isabella was completely dissociated from fashion, beyond fashion.

McQueen was an accomplished scuba diver and used his passion as a source of inspiration in his designs, including spring 2010's "Plato's Atlantis." Much of his diving was done around the Maldives.^[38]

Death and memorial[link]

Wikinews has related news: British fashion designer Alexander McQueen found dead at age 40

McQueen's death was announced on the afternoon of 11 February 2010. In the morning, his housekeeper found him hanging at his home on Green Street, London W1. ^[39] Paramedics were called and they pronounced him dead at the scene.^[1]

McQueen died days before London Fashion Week, though he was not scheduled to show,^[40] and nine days after the death of his mother, Joyce, 75, from cancer.^[41] David LaChapelle, a friend of the designer, said that McQueen "was doing a lot of drugs and was very unhappy" at the time of his death.^[42]

McQueen left a note saying, "Look after my dogs, sorry, I love you, Lee."^[43] The Metropolitan Police stated that the death was not suspicious, but did not confirm that the death was a suicide.^[44] On 17 February 2010, Westminster Coroner's Court was told that a post-mortem examination found that McQueen's death was due to asphyxiation and hanging. The inquest was adjourned until 28 April 2010, where McQueen's death was officially recorded as suicide.^[45][46] McQueen, who had been diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, took an overdose prior to hanging himself. He had taken drug overdoses in May and July 2009.^[47] Prior to hanging himself with his "favourite brown belt", the inquest recorded that he had slashed his wrists with a ceremonial dagger and a meat cleaver.^[48] Coroner Dr Paul Knapman reported finding "a significant level of cocaine, sleeping pills, and tranquilisers in the blood samples taken after the designer's death."^[49]

On behalf of Lee McQueen's family, Alexander McQueen [the company] today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand, has been found dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee's family. Lee's family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.

On 3 February 2010, McQueen wrote on his Twitter page that his mother had died the day before, adding: "RIP mumxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx." Four days later, he wrote that he had had an "awful week" but said "friends have been great", adding: "now i have to some how pull myself together".^[50] His mother's funeral took place on 12 February 2010.^[51] McQueen is survived by his father, three sisters, and two brothers.^[52]

McQueen's funeral took place on 25 February 2010 at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, West London.^[53] His ashes were later scattered on the Isle of Skye.^[54]

A memorial was held for McQueen at Saint Paul's Cathedral on 20 September 2010. It was attended by Björk, Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Campbell, Stella McCartney and Anna Wintour^[55] amongst 2,500 other invited guests.^[56] On 18 February 2010, Robert Polet, the president and chief executive of the Gucci Group, announced that the Alexander McQueen business would carry on without its founder and creative director.^[57]

The BBC reported that McQueen had reserved £50,000 ($82,000) of his wealth for his pet dogs so they could live in the lap of luxury for the rest of their lives. He also bequeathed £100,000 ($164,315) each to four different charities; these include the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London, and the Blue Cross animal welfare charity in Burford, Oxfordshire.^[58]

Tributes[link]

A dedication by a fan at an Alexander McQueen store after McQueen's death.

On 16 February 2010, pop musician Lady Gaga performed an acoustic, jazz rendition of her hit single "Telephone" and segued into "Dance in the Dark" at the 2010 Brit Awards. During the performance, Gaga honored McQueen, saying, "this is for Alexander McQueen".^[59] She also commemorated McQueen after accepting her award for Best International Artist, Best International Female, and Best International Album. Gaga dedicated a song to him, titled "Fashion of His Love", on the special edition of her third album, Born This Way.^{[citation needed]}

Björk sang her rendition of "Gloomy Sunday" at the memorial at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. She wore an outfit created by McQueen on which many mourners came to gather.^{[citation needed]} Various other musicians, who were friends and collaborators with McQueen, commentated on his death, including Kanye West, Courtney Love, and Katy Perry.^[60]

In March 2010, a visual tribute to McQueen and his "manta" design was organised featuring Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Annabelle Neilson, among others.^[21]

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted a posthumous exhibition of McQueen's work in 2011 titled Savage Beauty. The exhibition’s elaborate staging includes unique architectural finishes and soundtracks for each room.^[61] Despite being open for only three months, it was one of the most popular exhibitions in the museum's history.^[62] The exhibition was so successful that Alexander McQueen fans and industry professionals worldwide began rallying at Change.org to "Please Make Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty a Traveling Exhibition"^[63] to bring honor to McQueen and see his vision become a reality: to share his work with the entire world.^[64]

The final show[link]

Right before Alexander McQueen's death, he had an eighty percent unfinished autumn/winter collection, 16 pieces, presented during Paris Fashion Week on March 8th 2010, to a select handful of fashion editors in a mirrored, gilded salon at the 18th-century Hôtel de Clermont-Tonnerre.

Fashion editors picked his final designs. Editors said the show was hard to watch because it showed how McQueen was obsessed with the afterlife. The clothes had a medieval and religious look. Basic colours that were repetitively used were red, gold and silver with detailed embroidery. His models were accessorized to show his love for theatrical imagery. "Each piece is unique, as was he", McQueen's fashion house said in a statement that was released with the collection.

After company owner Gucci confirmed that the brand would continue, McQueen's long-term assistant Sarah Burton was named as the new creative director of Alexander McQueen in May 2010.^[65] In September 2010, Burton presented her first womenswear collection in Paris.^[66]

References[link]