Rolling Stone raves, MCQUEEN is “a ravishing, haunting portrait of a fashion-shock genius… haunting and a must-see.” Directors Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui pulled together archival footage from the late designer, Alexander McQueen’s, fashion shows, and placed that alongside exclusive interviews to create what ultimately becomes both a celebration and an intimate glimpse inside the peaks and valleys of a tortured soul.

Ettedgui states that tracking down some of this footage was no simple feat – the filmmakers had to track down small production houses who held (uncatalogued, undigitized) archives of McQueen’s fashion shows from the 1990s. Though a tedious process, Ettedgui says it was very satisfying to finally locate the pieces they needed.

Bonhote says that it was the “rags to riches” story of McQueen that fascinated him most, and ultimately drew him to the story as a filmmaker. Being so drawn into the film’s subject is what makes this film so hauntingly beautiful – Ettedgui says that even amid the editing process, they were occasionally brought to tears.

The visuals, especially the skull motif, are a huge part of the film. Here, Ian Bonhote elaborates on that motif that went on to become the poster art for the film:

“The notion that life is fleeting” was the message behind the film’s artwork, and even the film itself to some degree. “Fashion is about eternal youth,” says Ettedgui, and the skull idea is a bit taboo when placed into an industry so focused on staying young.

Gaining the trust of the interview subjects within the film was a major challenge – getting them to agree to speak at all, and then getting them to agree to allow those conversations to be in the film – took the gentle push, and more time, than what a comparable film would. Digging deeper into McQueen’s life, past his “badass image” was key for the filmmakers. “We knew there was something  more there,” Ettedgui states. Here, he elaborates on that:

Click here to visit our YouTube channel and see the full Q&A!

About the film:

A personal look at the extraordinary life, career and artistry of Alexander McQueen that is being heralded by Variety as “supremely elegant and engrossing,” and rated as 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Through exclusive interviews with his closest friends and family, recovered archives, exquisite visuals and music, MCQUEEN is an authentic celebration and thrilling portrait of an inspired yet tortured fashion visionary.

View the trailer:

Where to see it:

MCQUEEN is now playing at Angelika New York, and opens Friday 8/3 at Angelika Mosaic and Angelika Dallas, and Friday 8/10 at Angelika Carmel Mountain.