Proud Galleries is delighted to present McQueen: Backstage – The Early Shows by renowned British photographer Gary Wallis, an exquisite, never before seen archive of Lee ‘Alexander’ McQueen’s scandalous early forays onto the global fashion stage. Launching in conjunction with Wallis’ book of the same name, the debut publication from Big Smile, this intimate collection, hidden away for the past twenty years, marks the fifth anniversary of McQueen’s tragic and untimely death, whilst paying tribute to his dark genius.

Wallis first met McQueen whilst they were fellow students at Central Saint Martins. The young fashion designer asked Wallis to document the catwalk show of his now legendary 1992 MA Graduate Collection ‘Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims’. In the crowd that night was the fashion-mad English aristocrat, Isabella Blow. Blow bought the entire collection, becoming his muse and greatest champion.

McQueen and Wallis would continue to collaborate over the following years, capturing his breakthrough ‘Highland Rape’, the controversial collection that made McQueen’s name in 1995. Wallis documented a true insider’s view into the genesis of a genius.

In those three short years, McQueen conquered London and was hailed as the future of British fashion. These remarkable photographs will give you an intimate look into McQueen at home and backstage, preparing for the shows that came to launch and define his legendary career.

Proud Galleries is thrilled to bring you this personal insight into the lawless and irreverent life of Alexander McQueen, celebrating a rare moment in time, as this young Londoner became the rebel king of British fashion, pushing the boundaries of convention and reinventing the catwalk, unleashing shock and awe onto the fashion elite.