Maks and Blaze Blog: Gods and Kings

Gods and Kings

On the fifth anniversary of McQueen's death this month, Dana Thomas launched her book "Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano" - not necessarily a biography but a story of how the rise and fall of Galliano and McQueen changed the face of fashion in the twenty-first century!

Tortured by demons of success, McQueen and Galliano found their own way out. McQueen's solution was suicide on 11 February 2010 whereas Galliano's was alcohol.

Galliano has at least been given a second chance as the creative Director of Martin Maison Margiela. Galliano's first show for Maison Margiela showcased at London's Fall/Winter 15/16 Fashion week held on Monday 23 Feb 2015, gaining credit from other designers.

Galliano for Margiela's showcase at London Fashion week Fall/Winter 15/16

McQueen's legacy lives on through a St James theater production called "McQueen - a journey into the visionary imagination and dark dream world of Alexander McQueen" as well as an exhibition entitled Savage Beauty at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London opening to the public on the 15th March 2015.

McQueen's exhibition at Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Galliano (left) and McQueen (right)

Author of Gods and Kings, Dana Thomas, stated in an interview with Fashionista - "I was working on a piece about John's downfall for the Washington Post, and I found myself writing this leading paragraph about how he wasn't the only designer who cracked under the pressure in recent years. I decided there was something more to it. There was Marc Jacobs having a hard time and going to rehab, and McQueen, who was the most famous. There was [Christophe Decarnin] at Balmain who ended up missing his show because he had be hospitalized for nervous exhaustion. It kept coming up, so I thought, ‘There's something going on here.’' (read the whole interview here)