A Private Chronicle of Vision, Friendship, and Fashion’s Most Radical Mind
At the intersection of art, theatre, and dress, Lee Alexander McQueen emerged as one of the most arresting voices in the modern fashion narrative. His work was visceral and poetic — garments that did not simply clothe the body, but confronted it, questioned it, transformed it.
Now, for the first time, a landmark private archive bearing witness to McQueen’s most formative years is being offered in its entirety. The Alexander McQueen Archive Collection, assembled by close friend and collaborator Mira Chai Hyde, represents an extraordinary convergence of memory, material culture, and creative intimacy.
It is not a retrospective.
It is a lived record.
And it is now ready to be seen.
Mira Chai-Hyde: Creative Confidante and Keeper of Legacy
In 1995, as Lee Alexander McQueen emerged as a rising force within Hoxton’s dynamic art scene, he met Mira Chai-Hyde, an acclaimed American hairdresser living in the loft directly above his studio. What began as a simple cup of tea quickly blossomed into a creative and deeply personal bond. Drawn to her bold aesthetic and magnetic energy, McQueen invited Chai-Hyde to collaborate on his upcoming fashion show — marking the beginning of a profound partnership. Reflecting on their connection, Chai-Hyde later told biographer Andrew Wilson, "From the start, I felt an undeniable connection with him. I loved him like a brother."
Their professional collaboration soon became entwined with their personal lives. As McQueen prepared for his early work, including the hauntingly influential “The Hunger”, he found himself without space to live in his studio. Chai-Hyde welcomed him into her Hoxton Square loft, where the two lived together for nearly two years. Their shared space became a crucible of creativity, filled with artistic experimentation, late-night conversations, and the kind of raw inspiration that would help shape McQueen’s distinctive vision. After receiving his first paycheck from Givenchy, McQueen purchased his first home in Coleman Fields, bringing this unique chapter of their lives to a close — but leaving a lasting imprint on both of their journeys.
By the time she met McQueen, Chai-Hyde was already a trailblazer in the fashion world. Named Vidal Sassoon’s “Best Barber” in 1989, and credited with pioneering the faux hawk in 1992, her fearless approach to hair design had captured the attention of leading designers and photographers alike. Through her influence, McQueen was introduced to the cult classic The Hunger, which became a critical reference point for their first joint collection,melding gothic allure with cinematic intensity in a way that would come to define much of his early work.
Chai-Hyde’s influence extended far beyond McQueen’s studio. Her visionary artistry appeared in publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ, and she collaborated with cultural icons including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, U2, and Austin Butler. Her bold aesthetic and forward-thinking techniques helped redefine the intersection of fashion and hairstyling, earning her a place among the industry's most innovative voices.
The 2018 documentary “McQueen,” directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, delves into the extraordinary partnership between Chai-Hyde and designer Alexander McQueen, emphasizing her pivotal role during his formative years. Over time, Chai-Hyde curated a remarkable collection of McQueen’s work, which included archival garments, handwritten letters, and personal mementos, items that reflect her deep understanding of his genius. This unique archive was prominently featured in the 2011 Savage Beauty exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, serving as a significant tribute to McQueen’s unparalleled legacy.
Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute at the Met, spotlighted McQueen’s iconic bumster trousers in Savage Beauty, recognizing their role in redefining silhouettes and challenging traditional ideals of beauty. The exhibition drew international acclaim, solidifying McQueen’s reputation as one of the most visionary designers of his generation.
Today, Mira Chai-Hyde’s meticulously preserved archive stands as a living testament to McQueen’s brilliance. It offers collectors, curators, and fashion enthusiasts an intimate look into the mind of a designer who dared to defy convention. Each piece tells a story, one of friendship, of fearless creativity, and of a legacy that continues to shape the world of fashion.
The Archive
Spanning the mid 1990s to early 2000s, the collection includes over 270 individual works that map McQueen’s evolution from raw London provocateur to master of international couture. The collection includes:
- Runway garments and prototypes from Dante, La Poupée, It’s a Jungle Out There, Voss, and Givenchy Haute Couture
- Bumster trousers and skirts, a silhouette that redefined the relationship between tailoring, the body, and sexuality
- Over 80 original documents, including rare handwritten and artist’s editions
- Original sketches, many annotated or altered by McQueen himself
- Fitting Polaroids and unpublished photographs, offering rare behind-the-scenes glimpses into the designer’s creative process
- Lookbooks, press notes, and show ephemera, preserved in their original condition
Every object within the archive is tethered to the lived experience of its maker and its keeper — presented not as fragments, but as a singular, coherent body of work.
Preserved as a Whole
In keeping with the integrity of its origin, the Alexander McQueen Archive Collection is offered in full — undivided, uncompromised. Its power lies in its totality: in the relationships between objects, in the invisible threads of trust, collaboration, and creative risk that connect each piece.
To fragment it would be to erase that story.
To keep it whole is to preserve a legacy.
Valuation by Patricia Frost
The archive has been formally appraised by Patricia Frost, former Director of Fashion and Textiles at Christie’s South Kensington. Widely regarded as one of the leading experts in historical fashion and couture valuation, Frost brings market credibility and institutional expertise to this collection.
Her assessment considered each piece in terms of material rarity, condition, and provenance — but more importantly, as part of a complete narrative. The result is a comprehensive, itemised valuation report that recognises the archive not only as a grouping of valuable works, but as a museum-grade holding of international cultural importance.
This formal valuation is available to qualified institutions and collectors upon request.
Contextualised by John Matheson
To support curatorial preparation, Three Over Six engaged John Matheson, founder of McQueen Vault and one of the world’s foremost authorities on Alexander McQueen’s creative and technical legacy.
With more than 25 years of experience in fashion history and material culture, Matheson conducted a detailed examination of the archive’s internal structure — matching pieces to specific shows, seasons, collaborators, and source references. His work helped to build a robust scholarly framework around the garments and supporting ephemera, enriching the archive’s relevance for future curators, historians, and institutional collections.
Curated by Luke Carter
The archive has been prepared for acquisition under the curatorial direction of Luke Carter, co-founder of Three Over Six. Known for his work in rare fashion and cultural archives, Carter has brought precision, reverence, and scholarship to every stage of the process.
“This collection is an emotional document,” Carter notes. “It exists because someone cared enough to keep it, quietly, all these years. It deserves to live on in its entirety — not as fashion, but as history.”
This Is Not a Retrospective. It Is a Testament.
McQueen once said, “Fashion should be a form of escapism, not a form of imprisonment.”
This archive is one such escape — into a body of work that changed how we see the human form, the runway, and the story a garment can tell.
It is a legacy preserved.
And now, for the first time, it may be passed on.
