Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen’s 'Savage Beauty' at the Metropolitan Museum in 2011 drew 661,509 visitors—making it the most attended fashion exhibition in the museum’s 141-year history, outperforming #6 Gianni Versace’s record-breaking showcase on media impact. His skull-printed scarves, the most copied fashion accessories of the 2000s, generated $190 million in brand value after the label was sold to Kering. Trained as a Savile Row tailor, McQueen won British Designer of the Year four times, and his collection 'Plato’s Atlantis' famously included 20-inch armadillo shoes that defined the avant-garde runway—30% taller than the average designer heel. This blend of theatricality and craftsmanship produces garments that are 40% more likely to be preserved in museum archives compared to typical fashion collections.