Looking back on obituaries at the time of Alexander McQueen's death prove that not only was the venerable designer painfully talented, but he was also widely beloved. Though many of McQueen's signature designs - which included low-rise bumster jeans, the ever-covetable skull motif and theatrical juxtaposition - seemed too elite or confounded to allure the masses, McQueen attracted the attention of nearly everyone in his wake - including an unlikely fan in Lady Gaga.
"He didn't just create fashion, he created spectacles," said fellow designer Scott Henshall. "He had Sophie Dahl encased with butterflies, he had models sprayed with paint to enter his finale catwalk shows and he really elevated fashion to what it should be."
This notion became even more evident when he debuted the so-call "armadillo shoe" for spring 2010, popularized by Mother Monster herself when she sported the 10-inch embroidered pedi-crustaceans in her video for "Bad Romance."
Only 21 pairs exist, and at $10,000 a piece, they're not the most accessible it-shoe. Haute Couture Collector Daphne Guinness also nabbed herself a pair, and though the footwear found itself ankle-deep in mixed reviews, Guinness lauded both the design and the execution.
"It's almost like having a Brancusi on your feet," said Guinness, who owns a tan-hued scale pair. "They were four sizes too big, but surprisingly comfortable. I know it sounds bizarre. They look difficult but they aren't. They're not heavy. They're very, very deceptive and very clever."
She continued, "My boyfriend does not like that sort of thing, and I think that is where there are clothes that please men or conservative tastes, and there are these other explorations. I imagine the conflict with these types of pieces lies in the question, 'Is fashion art?' To which I would reply, 'Yes.'"
And though the sartorial world has seen phases of it-shoe styles (the stacked loafer, the pointed stiletto, the cork wedge, the flat-form), it wasn't until McQueen debuted the armadillo shoe that the status symbol was redirected from the handbag on your arm to the shoe on your foot. Most recently, those ubiquitous Miu Miu glitter booties made their way in and out of stores quicker than retailers could manage, and now that Prada has debuted a series of footwear with brake lights and pseudo-spoilers adorning the back for spring, it seems we may have a new item in the cycle that the late McQueen created. Now anybody with a dollar and a fashion dream also needs a lesson in walking with 5-inch heels.
To deny Alexander McQueen of his genius would be impossible, as his affinity for the ornate would capture the attention of sartorial greats like Gaga and Guinness, even if they're known for their devotion to costume. But as it stands - it wasn't until the obscenity of the armadillo shoe (and the birth of the Man-Repelling mindset) that many women felt truly comfortable with dressing for themselves.
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