1992
From tailoring to the runway
McQueen established his label in London after studying at Central Saint Martins. Traditional cutting gave his theatrical designs their underlying discipline.
The House & Its Designers
Alexander McQueen
London · 1992
Exacting tailoring meets romantic, sometimes unsettling imagination.
Lee Alexander McQueen brought Savile Row training to shows that challenged what fashion could express. The house’s tension between beauty and unease carries into its sculptural bags, skull clasps and knuckle handles.
15 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1996–2010
An independent voice
A period leading Givenchy ran alongside his own label. His McQueen collections joined historical dress, technology and performance; after his death in 2010, Sarah Burton took creative leadership.
2010–2023
Craft under Sarah Burton
Burton developed the house’s romantic tailoring and intricate handwork. Her 2011 wedding dress for Catherine Middleton brought that atelier skill to a worldwide audience.
2023
Seán McGirr appointed
McGirr’s appointment opened a new chapter, with his first collection shown in 2024. The house’s tailoring and confrontational energy remain essential reference points.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
1992–2010
Lee Alexander McQueen
Technical tailoring underpinned his experiments with history, nature and spectacle.
2010–2023
Sarah Burton
Burton gave the house a romantic emphasis while sustaining its demanding standards of construction.
Appointed 2023
Seán McGirr
McGirr brought a new interpretation of McQueen’s London roots and expressive silhouettes.
On the runway
Selected looks and details, matched to the house and season.
Alexander McQueen · Spring 2019 Ready To Wear
Alexander McQueen · Spring 2023 Ready To Wear
Alexander McQueen · Fall 2024 Ready To Wear
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
01
Skull Box Clutch
A hard-sided evening clutch crowned by the house’s skull clasp.
02
Heroine
A structured top-handle bag with a distinctive curved flap.
03
De Manta Clutch
Folded corners create a broad, sculptural clutch.
04
Knuckle Box Clutch
A rigid evening bag with a four-finger knuckle handle.
More designs to know
- The Story
- A top-handle design distinguished by its horizontal metal handle.
- The Bow
- A softly gathered shape organised around a bow-like detail.
- Padlock
- A leather bag accented with the house’s padlock hardware.