A stash of Alexander McQueen’s sketchbooks just got sold at auction

In the summer of 1990, 21-year-old Lee Alexander McQueen strolled into Central Saint Martins and demanded an audience with legendary director of the MA Fashion course, Bobby Hillson. He didn’t have an appointment, but he did have a bundle of clothes slung over his arm – mostly Romeo Gigli creations that he had made while working for the Italian house earlier that year.

Hillson promised him just five minutes, though that was enough to impress her. After looking through the clothes and asking more about his Savile Row background, as she turned to leave, Hillson asked the pivotal question: “Do you draw at all?”... “I’ve drawn all my life,” he responded. She told him to come back with his sketches and she’d give him a proper audience, which he did a few days later. Hillson was so impressed with his drawings that she advised he skip the BA course and fast-track straight to the MA.

Though it was clear from his designs that he was already a skilled tailor, it was McQueen’s sketchbooks that became his golden ticket through the gates to CSM. His drawings were all the proof that Hillson needed that McQueen was an exceptional talent.

14 years after the designer’s tragic death, a collection of his sketchbooks ranging from the early 1990s up until 2001, has been sold at a Kerry Taylor auction for £20k. The collection includes 54 original sketches, ranging from his time at CSM through to the Givenchy years. As well as pencil and biro drawings, there are scans of Givenchy haute couture, Polaroids from fittings and several personal photographs taken on holiday, as well as one from John Galliano’s SS92 show.

Previously, McQueen’s original sketches have sold at auction for between £750-£1k per drawing. With that in mind, plus the significance of these artefacts, £20k for the entire collection seems somewhat of a steal. Could Lady Gaga be the anonymous buyer? She certainly has been at previous McQueen auctions, famously acquiring three pairs of Armadillo boots for approximately £190k back in 2015, and paying $133k in 2012 for a dress from Daphne Guinness’ wardrobe.

We may not know who bought McQueen’s sketchbooks, but we can hope that they went to someone who appreciates what they have on their hands (and the bargain they got for them too). Long live McQueen.