Alexander McQueen

British designer Alexander McQueen left school at 16 for an apprenticeship at a famous Savile Row tailor where he gained an in-depth knowledge of bespoke tailoring. In 1992 McQueen attained a master's degree in fashion design from London's Central Saint Martin’s, four years later McQueen was installed as John Galliano's successor at Givenchy where he stayed 5 years. McQueen committed suicide, aged 40, on February 11 2010 to the world’s great loss. New Creative Director Sarah Burton has been head of design for womenswear since 2000, and has proclaimed her intention of staying true to McQueen's legacy – the impeccable mix of fragility and strength, tradition and modernity, truth and myth, as well as a profound respect for the arts and crafts tradition.