A new drama is being made about Alexander McQueen and his muse and patron, the famously eccentic fashion editor Isabella Blow. Produced by Maven Pictures, The Ripper will explore the pair’s relationship which was, at times, tumultuous.
Arguably the most eagle-eyed fashion talent scout of her time, Blow spotted McQueen at the Central Saint Martins MA graduate show in 1992, and was so impressed that she bought his entire collection, which was titled ‘Jack the Ripper’, for £5,000. She went onto support the designer in any way that she could and, of course, he was extremely successful.
She and McQueen became friends, though tensions between the two grew when his label was bought by the Gucci Group (now Kering) in 2001. Speaking to Cathy Horyn in 2007, her friend Daphne Guinness said, “She was upset that Alexander McQueen didn't take her along when he sold his brand to Gucci. Once the deals started happening, she fell by the wayside. Everybody else got contracts, and she got a free dress.”
Like McQueen, Blow’s life ended abruptly – and tragically – in suicide in 2007. To this day, the duo remain among the most prolific and intriguing collaborators in fashion history, which is why The Ripper is sure to be a must-see. It’s a topic that has already been explored though, in the form of a 2011 BBC documentary titled McQueen and I, which can be watched in its entirety below.
However The Ripper isn’t the only film about McQueen currently in the works – 45 Years director Andrew Haigh is creating a biopic, though no more details about the title have been revealed since the initial announcement in January.
