Quote Of The Day By Alexander McQueen: 'I Think There Is Beauty In...'

When you think of boundary-pushing fashion, Alexander McQueen is probably one of the first names to come to mind (and if he's not, then he should be). McQueen was known best for his dedication to subverting expectations when it came to women's fashion. As the London-born designer once said, "I want people to be afraid of the women I dress." But before he was hosting some of the most wild runway shows in history, McQueen was a 16-year-old apprentice on Savile Row, the famous London street that serves as the hub for high-quality British menswear. McQueen had ample formal education and practical experience in tailoring, design, and pattern-cutting; he received his master's degree in fashion design from Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design in 1992 with a graduate collection celebrated by the media.

Shortly after graduation, McQueen started a women's fashion brand. He gained notoriety in the industry with his "bumster" cut pants, which featured a daringly low waistline. Soon after, McQueen was named Chief Designer of Givenchy, but felt creatively stifled by the position. After Gucci bought a stake in his private label in 2000, McQueen was able to expand his line and leave Givenchy one year later. McQueen's designs and shows grew even more unbelievable, controversial, and award-winning. McQueen passed away in 2010, but his legacy remains to this day. Throughout the course of his career, McQueen won four British Designer of the Year awards and was named CFDA's International Designer of the Year in 2003. McQueen's steadfast dedication to appreciating what others would consider strange and off-putting (and managing to turn it into art) is why he is the source of today's quote of the day.

During a 2003 interview with ShowStudio for their "In Camera" series, Alexander McQueen appeared live to answer questions submitted by fans and fellow fashion professionals alike. Photographer Joel-Peter Witkin asked McQueen to define beauty, to which the designer replied, "I think there is beauty in everything. What 'normal' people perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it." As one of the most daring designers of all time, McQueen's unique perspective on what constitutes beauty is just as refreshing today as it is unsurprising for the artist. 

Alexander McQueen was a visionary. Nothing he designed could ever be called banal or standard. Therefore, his quote about seeing beauty in things others may find "ugly" rings true. However, there's something we can glean from McQueen's words for our everyday lives: Finding beauty and value in everything, even in what isn't considered traditionally attractive, is a worthwhile endeavor. For those who aspire to work in a creative field (like fashion design, for example), this is particularly prudent. Like McQueen, if you push the boundaries of what is "beautiful" and "safe" by society's current standards, you can create something truly meaningful. 

But, if you aren't artistically inclined, McQueen's quote can still apply. Open your mind up to non-traditional aesthetics and ways of life in order to expand your horizons and improve your life. McQueen's general guiding philosophy about seeing the beauty in the grotesque and off-putting may be extreme, but it is also something we can all take inspiration from. 

• "Some designers are so airy-fairy people can't connect with them. I hope people can relate to me, to a normal person who just happens to be a fashion designer, that people can take me as they find me. It's not the designer's job to care about what people think. Whatever else I've done, I've never tried to be something that I'm not."
• "It's a new era in fashion — there are no rules. It's all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together."
• "I want to empower women. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress."
• "Of course I make mistakes. I'm human. If I didn't make mistakes, I'd never learn. You can only go forward by making mistakes."
• "I find beauty in the grotesque, like most artists. I have to force people to look at things."
• "There comes a time in your life when you focus solely on what you believe is right, regardless of what everybody else is doing."
• "I want to be the purveyor of a certain silhouette or a way of cutting, so that when I am dead and gone people will know that the twenty-first century was started by Alexander McQueen."