A Rare Glimpse Into Alexander McQueen’s Working Process
Photographer Nick Waplington gives a behind the scenes look into the notoriously private workspace of the late fashion designer.
Nick Waplington
Alexander McQueen led a notoriously private life, allowing very few into both his personal and professional spheres. Yet in 2007, McQueen commissioned photographer Nick Waplington to create a photo book of his design process, cataloguing all aspects of his Fall/Winter 2009 show, from conception to creation. "Do whatever you want," McQueen told Waplington, "this will be your book and I will be the subject." Over six months and 800 photographs later, Waplington had captured McQueen's working progress in his London studio and Paris atelier, highlighting his multi-faceted "The Horn of Plenty" collection, as McQueen named it, which encompassed concepts and inspiration from his previous 15 seasons. Less than a year later, McQueen would tragically take his own life, leaving behind a still-admired legacy, and this book of unpublished, rare photographs. Now, three and a half years after his death, Waplington's intimate images are being published, providing those who did not personally know McQueen with a look into his private life. "In the end, though, it is important to remember that however challenging the subject matter, this collection was created with and among old friends," Grazia's Fashion Director Susannah Frankel writes in the foreward. "For all the street, exasperations, and even pain that went into its making there was lightness and laughter too. Alexander McQueen was fragile, more fragile, perhaps, than anyone around him realized, but he was happiest when working on a show." Waplington's haunting imagery of "The Horn of Plenty," from start to finish, show above all, what McQueen loved most.
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.