Дизайн

When Alexander McQueen committed suicide in February 2010, aged just 40, a shocked world mourned the loss of its most visionary fashion designer.

McQueen had risen from humble beginnings as the youngest child of an East London taxi driver to scale the heights of fame, fortune and glamour. He designed clothes for the world's most beautiful women including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. In business, he created a multi-million-pound luxury brand that became a favourite with both celebrities and royalty, most famously the Duchess of Cambridge who wore a McQueen dress on her wedding day.

But behind the confident facade and bad-boy image, lay a sensitive soul who struggled to survive in the ruthless world of fashion. As the pressures of work intensified, so McQueen became increasingly dependent on the drugs that contributed to his tragic end. His failure to find lasting love with a string of boyfriends only added to his despair. And then there were the dark secrets that haunted his sleep…

A modern-day fairy tale infused with the darkness of a Greek tragedy, this book will tell the sensational story of McQueen's rise from his hard East London upbringing to the hedonistic world of fashion. Those closest to the designer - his family, friends and lovers - have spoken for the first time about the man they knew, a fragmented and insecure individual, a lost boy who battled to gain entry into a world that ultimately destroyed him.

From Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims, his 1992 graduate collection, to Plato's Atlantis, the last show before his death in 2010, Lee Alexander McQueen was as celebrated for the exquisite tailoring, meticulous craftsmanship, and stunning originality of his designs as he was notorious for his theatrical - and often controversial - runway shows.

McQueen found inspiration for his avant-garde collections everywhere: his Scottish ancestry, Alfred Hitchcock movies, Yoruba mythology, the destruction of the environment - even the fashion industry itself. Whatever his inspiration, however, McQueen’s concept for his runway show came first and was crucial to the development of the collection.

Every show had a narrative and was staged with his characteristic dramatic flair. Highland Rape featured disheveled models smeared with “blood” staggering down the runway in town clothes. In Scanners, two robots sprayed paint on a model trapped on a spinning platform. In Widows of Culloden, a hologram of supermodel Kate Moss held center stage.

Other McQueen shows staged models walking through water, drifting snowflakes, rain, and wind tunnels; pole-dancing in garish makeup at a carnival, playing living pieces in a bizarre chess game, and performing with trained dancers in a Depression-era-style marathon.

Illustrated throughout with stunning photography and liberally sprinkled with quotations from McQueen and those who knew him best, Alexander McQueen: Evolution is the story of the designer’s thirty-five runway shows and the genius behind them.

Alexander McQueen: Evolution is the story of the designer's thirty-five runway shows and the genius behind them.

From Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims, his 1992 graduate collection, to Plato's Atlantis, the last show before his death in 2010, Lee Alexander McQueen was as celebrated for the meticulous craftsmanship and stunning originality of his designs as he was notorious for his theatrical ― and often controversial ― runway shows.

Taking his inspiration from sources as diverse as his own Scottish ancestry, Alfred Hitchcock movies and Yoruba mythology, McQueen brought together exquisite tailoring and avant-garde performance art. Combining gripping narrative and vivid photography with quotes from the designer and those who knew him best, this book brings each of the designer’s runway shows to life, including a look at the pieces and inspiration behind Angels and Demons, the show he was working on before his untimely death.

 This is the definitive, immersive account of a unique career and a fitting tribute to the enfant terrible of British fashion.

A retrospective of Lee's groundbreaking work and a salute to his artistry, the book showcases the wonderful world of McQueen, from his graduate collection at Central Saint Martins to his latest designs created just days before his untimely death, and finally his ideas carried on through Sarah Burton, including the royal wedding dress.

Celebrating his work and vision, "Alexander McQueen: Fashion Visionary" traces the designer's ascent to becoming one of the world's most respected couturiers - a story marked by celebrity friendships, unrestrained creativity, theatrical fashion shows and, ultimately, tragedy. The chronological organization allows the reader to understand McQueen's most seminal collections and the progression and underlying themes of his ideas.

This book is dedicated to McQueen's work and talent, and exhibits not simply visually electrifying fashion images, but also reveals the deep reservoir of the designer's imagination.

Packed with breathtaking photographs, this tribute to Alexander McQueen (1969-2010) celebrates the incredible creations of an iconic, imaginative, and inspirational fashion designer whose work turned heads and hearts all over the world. He was a major fashion figure, famous throughout the world, especially the US (where he is a celebrity-favourite with clients including Sarah Jessica Parker, Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman) and Japan. McQueen's dramatic designs, also been worn by celebrities including Bjork, Lady Gaga and Rihanna, met with critical acclaim and earned him the British Designer of the Year award four times. This book is a must-have for fashion lovers everywhere.

Magnificently illustrated with some of McQueen's most riveting designs, this book illuminates the struggles of a man who dared to defy accepted fashion norms and give the world a new sense of grandeur From conflicted gay teenager and aggressive and remote young man, through to his lonely suicide, this book charts Alexander McQueen's ascent to couturier par excellence, highlighting his spectacular shows and showing how his confrontational, streetwise manner was simply a shield that protected and masked a very shy, sensitive, and insecure man who hailed from the wrong side of the high fashion tracks.

McQueen's talent is now globally acknowledged to have been unmatched in contemporary haute couture, and this book distills from the lavish sweep of his colors, designs, fabrics, and forward-driving concepts the essence of a man on a quest for beauty and his own contentment. In casting the spotlight on the stark contrast between catwalk glamour and his upbringing and personal demons, the book shows how his talent both nourished and destroyed him. It takes us from the vicious glare of the walkway where he was feted by the wealthy and famous as an innovative artist to behind the glamour.

There, defiance delineated a life that was hurled into inescapable depression by the deaths, first of his great friend and supporter Isabella Blow and then by his mother.

About the Author:

Michael A. O'Neill has written scripts for, produced, and narrated historical documentaries, which have been shown on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel.

A striking tribute to Alexander McQueen’s stunning collections, revealing photographs that were, until now, one of fashion’s best-kept secrets

Alexander McQueen has grasped the public's imagination like few other fashion designers before him, with exhibitions dedicated to his work continuing to attract record visitor numbers.

Almost 500,000 people visited the V&A's 2015 Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition, making it the most popular in the museum s history. Opening with a brief essay on the designer's work, Alexander McQueen: Unseen unfolds chronologically.

Each collection is introduced by a concise text by Claire Wilcox, one of the foremost experts on the McQueen's work, revisiting the designer's most iconic creations across his entire career and revealing previously unseen behind-the-scenes moments that capture models, hairdressers, stylists, make-up artists and Alexander McQueen himself at their most candid and creative.

Robert Fairer's stunning and high-energy photographs, all previously unpublished, capture the glamour, grit and spirit that made McQueen's flamboyant shows unique. A treasure-trove of inspiration, they make this publication a must-have reference for fashion and photography lovers alike.

Alien is a science fiction milestone and one of the most thrilling, terrifying, and beautiful film franchises of all time. Alien: The Archive is the first complete book of the stunning artwork and photography from all four films.

TM & (c) 2014 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

350 images

All Access takes a “before they were stars” look at twenty-five giants in the graphic design industry by juxtaposing an edited selection of the stars’ greatest hits with their “pre-fame” work. Author Stefan Bucher showcases their visual history, the first pieces that made them stars, their transitional work, and the eventual breakthrough pieces that caused their names to be known around the world. Insightful text exploring mentors, education, and eureka moments complement this visual timeline illustrating the journey from struggling novice to master designer.

In addition to the twenty-five giants, Bucher also profiles twenty of the most exciting upcoming design stars from around the globe. As with the masters, Bucher explores their road to early success, and showcases the work that is currently lifting these young designers into the spotlight. These are their early days, yet the work they are producing is groundbreaking and inspiring.

Stefan G. Bucher is the Art Director of Pasadena-based 344 Design designing CD packages for Sting, Minority Report, The Matrix, Solar Twins, Whitney Houston, Alanis Morissette, S Club 7, and bossa:nova. In a land beyond CDs, he is responsible for the Roxio “Burning CD” logo, as well as for the five and a half pound annual American Photography 17 for which he received the 2002 D&AD Silver Award for “Most Outstanding Complete Book Design”. His work has been recognized by AIGA, the Art Directors Club, the American Center for Design, the One Show, the Type Directors Club, HOW, Print, STEP, novum, and Communication Arts Magazine. He lives in Los Angeles.

The dawn of consumerism: when ads were works of art

A far cry from the aggressive ads we`ve become used to, American print advertisements from the first two decades of the 20th century were almost shockingly pleasant. Intricately designed and beautifully illustrated, often in the art nouveau style popular at the time, four-color, full-page magazine advertisements were welcome respites from the bland, text-filled pages among which they appeared. Sales pitches were earnest and friendly; beer, for example, was billed as "The Evening Glass of Cheer" and toothpaste was described as "Delicious Ribbon Dental Cream" - perhaps not the catchiest slogans, but they were on to something. The American consumerist boom of the 20th century was just beginning and advertising was getting its sea legs. From motorcars to hair tonics to steamship cruises to Coca-Cola ("After the theatre drink a glass… it relieves fatigue"), America was peddling its wares in style and setting an example of how to advertise in the modern age. This exhaustive compendium of ads from the period - many of which haven`t been seen for over eight decades - is a fascinating reminder of surprisingly simpler times and a rediscovery of a forgotten age in advertising history.

The Roaring Twenties Prohibition made liquor illegal and all the more fun to drink. Speakeasies, luxury cars, women’s liberation, bathtub gin and a booming economy kept the country’s mood on the up-and-up. Women sheared off their locks and taped their chests, donning flapper dresses and dancing the Charleston until their legs gave out. Gangsters flourished in big cities and gangster movies flourished in Hollywood. It was the roaring twenties in America: a singular time in history, a lull between two world wars and the last gasp before the nation’s descent into the Great Depression. Forging the way into the future like a modern ocean liner in a sea of antiquity, advertising in the 20s sought to bring avant-garde into the mainstream—which it did with great success.

World War II brought unprecedented pride and prosperity to the American people and nothing better mirrors the new wave of consumerism and progress than the ads of the time. From Western Electric communication tools (for "the modern battlefield") to Matsom sea liners ("Toward a Richer Tomorrow") to Seagram's whiskey (for "Men Who Plan Beyond Tomorrow") to the Hoover vacuum ("For every woman who is proud of her home"), the flood of products and services for every occasion or whim was practically endless. It's hard to believe that the company who made your ultra-compact mobile phone was once advertising portable radios with "Motorola: More radio pleasure for less money," or that Electrolux didn't have any qualms about using Mandy, the portly black maid, to promote their new silent refrigerators: "Lor-dy, it sure is quiet!" You'll also find some familiar products that, amazingly, haven't changed at all over the years, such as juicy Dole pineapples and wholesome Campbell's soup. Yumm.

As McCarthyism swept across the United States and capitalism was king, white America enjoyed a feeling of pride and security that was reflected in advertising. Carelessly flooding society with dangerous misinformation, companies in the 50s promoted everything from vacations in Las Vegas, where guests could watch atomic bombs detonate, to cigarettes as healthy mood-enhancers, promoted by a baby who claims his mother feels better after she smokes a Marlboro. From "The World's Finest Automatic Washer" to the Cadillac which "Gives a Man a New Outlook," you'll find a colorful plethora of ads for just about anything the dollar could buy. Oh, and "Have you noticed how many of your neighbors are using Herman Miller furniture these days?" If only you could really travel back in time and pick up a few chairs for your collection...

60s Americana galore! With the consumerist euphoria of the fifties still going strong and the race to the moon at its height, the mood of advertising in the sixties was cheerful, optimistic, and at times, revolutionary. The decade's ads touted perceived progress (such as tang and instant omelets-"just add water") while striving to reinforce good old American values. Stars like Sean Connery, Woody Allen, Salvador Dalí, and Sammy Davis Jr. endorsed everything from bourbon to handmade suits in an attempt by Madison Avenue to urge Americans to open their wallets and participate in one giant consumer binge. Social change at the end of the era brought psychedelic swirls and liberated women and minorities to a newly conscious public. Keep an eye out for some of the more surprising and controversial ads-such as Tupperware billing its storage container as a "wifesaver." From forgotten cars such as the Dodge Dart, to cigarettes ("This Christmas give cartons of Luckies") to food (mmm! TV dinners!) and much more, this colorful collection of print ads explores the wide, wonderful world of 60s Americana.

Discofunkalicious: An exhaustive overview of the decade that spawned glam rock and The Brady Bunch. Both eclipsed and influenced by television, American print ads of the 1970s departed from the bold, graphic forms and subtle messages that were typical of their sixties counterparts. More literal, more in-your-face, 70s ads sought to capture the attention of a public accustomed to blaring, to-the-point TV commercials (even VW ads, known for their witty, ironic statements and minimalist designs, lost some of their punch in the 1970s). All was not lost, though; as ads are a sign of the times, racial and ecological awareness crept into everything from cigarette to car advertisements, reminding Americans that everyday products were hip to the modern age. In an attempt to discover how best to communicate with a mass audience, marketing specialists studied focus groups with furious determination, thus producing such dumbed-down gems as “sisters are different from brothers,” the slogan used for an African-American hair product. By the end of the decade, however, print ads had begun to recoup, gaining in originality and creativity as they focused on target audiences through carefully chosen placement in smaller publications. A fascinating study of mass culture dissemination in a post-hippie, television-obsessed nation, this weighty volume delivers an exhaustive and nostalgic overview of 70s advertising.