On the opening day of New York Fashion Week Fall 2010, the tragic news of Alexander McQueen’s death shook the fashion world to the core. Hailed as one of the fashion industry’s greats, he won the British Fashion Council Designer of the Year Award four times and received a CBE in 2003 for his contribution to the industry. McQueen’s story from the East End of London, to Savile Row and Central St Martins, and eventually to internationally acclaimed designer, is inspiring in itself. But, undeniably, what was truly inspirational for all that experienced his work, from near or afar, was his unique and incomparable talent. McQueen took the idea of ‘creativity’ to another dimension. Every single one of his shows was recognised for his ability to stretch the boundaries of our seemingly meagre fashion realities, and take us into the delights of a designer’s dream world. From stuffed animals, to his most memorable show for Givenchy where car-robots artistically sprayed dresses in paint, to ‘that one with Kate Moss as a hologram’ – each show, if possible, seemed more innovative than the one before. I remember watching his last show for Spring/Summer 2010 – mesmerised as the models gracefully sauntered down the catwalk in those ridiculously high Armadillo shoes – yet, they were one of those items that just encapsulated the fantastical facet of fashion in such a way that they were ‘made’ for that McQueen catwalk. The models were like prehistoric beasts that had travelled through time and had somehow found themselves in our future. But, this ability to take each and every one of us on a journey, through the theatrics of clothing, is something that seduced even the harshest industry critics. His shows were spectacles that never failed to exceed expectations; they were playgrounds for the inner child of even the most serious spectator. They let us embrace what was happening before our eyes and to escape for a moment into ‘McQueen’s magic’. As a designer, McQueen had a vision that was so inspirational that it seemed unstoppable. He will be truly missed and never forgotten. May his designs continue his legacy, so his creative genius can keep encouraging us to ‘step outside the box’ for just a second, and remind us all to dream… - Annie Chin