When I was younger and cared about fashion, Alexander McQueen was one of the first designers whose work I openly coveted. Later, I acquired a couple of pair of McQueen sunglasses, one of which was my absolute favorite until Lilly, then a puppy, stomped on them in a playful fit, snapping them in two.
Today, McQueen hanged himself in his London flat. It's a loss for the fashion world, but moreso for the world in general.
Creativity, in any form, is so admirable to me. And often, those who are most creative are hounded by the proverbial demons. With modern advances in technology, therapy, and medication, it's hard to believe the people still kill themselves. And while some may flippantly claim that taking one's own life is "taking the easy way out", or "cowardly", in the end, there is the moment where the razor must slash skin, or the trigger must be pulled, or the chair kicked away. Perhaps the end result takes the place of dealing with life's ups and downs, but whatever you call it, in the end, it is tragic. As the father of teenagers, I view this act so differently now...but like most of us, I'll never fully understand it.
Alexander McQueen had scores of admirers worldwide. But, as we've learned time and time again, that often doesn't matter.
Hug someone close to you today. Someone that you don't often hug. And remind them that you love them.
Labels: Alexander McQueen, suicide
