About the Author

Andrew Wilson is an award-winning journalist and author. His work has appeared in a wide variety of publications including the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Sunday Times, and the Smithsonian Magazine. He is the author of four acclaimed biographies, a book about the survivors of the Titanic, and the novels, The Lying Tongue, A Talent for Murder, A Different Kind of Evil, Death in a Desert Land.

Reviews

"My work is like a biography of my own personality," the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen said, a thought that informs the structure of this account of his life and work. Detailed discussion of his sometimes macabre runway shows reveals a man obsessed with death and spectacle and haunted by childhood sexual abuse. Wilson reads in McQueen's clothes a complicated relationship with women. Some critics, observing the near-brutality of the shows--one featured a model whose mouth was splayed open by metal braces--charged McQueen with misogyny, but Wilson sees the more extreme costumes as "armor," a "sartorial force field," and, perhaps, an invitation to empowerment.--The New Yorker

"Presents a thorough and emotionally compelling exploration of the life, work, and inner demons of fashion designer Alexander McQueen....Wilson paints vivid portraits of McQueen's family and friends....a fully realized representation of a complex and enigmatic artist."--Publishers Weekly

"Wilson's compelling and heavily researched bio...has already been published to rave reviews in Britain."--Entertainment Weekly

"Wilson's storytelling is crisp as he offers new insights into McQueen's short life...[and] provides unprecedented access to a misunderstood soul."--Boston Globe

[In] Andrew Wilson's magnificent biography...[Alexander McQueen] comes across as a modern-day Mozart, unpredictable, rebellious, kind, witty, clever, scatalogical, but always with the unique talent and creative genius shining through...bounds across the pages and is brought to life by extensive interviews with family and friends...McQueen has got in Wilson the biographer he deserves.--The Independent (UK)