Three Over Six is honoured to present one of the most intimate and historically significant Alexander McQueen collections ever assembled. This rare body of work—personally preserved by McQueen’s close friend and creative collaborator, Mira Chai-Hyde—is now being offered through expressions of interest only, exclusively via Three Over Six.

This is not a conventional archive. It is a living memory. A creative dialogue between two kindred spirits. A testament to an era that changed the landscape of fashion forever.

The Provenance: A Friendship That Shaped a Designer

In 1995, as McQueen rose from London’s East End into the global spotlight, he encountered Mira Chai-Hyde—an acclaimed American hairstylist known for her visionary approach and bold aesthetics. What began as a simple meeting over tea in Hoxton blossomed into one of the most meaningful creative partnerships of McQueen’s formative years.

Mira offered more than artistic collaboration—she offered trust, insight, and refuge. The two lived together in her loft above McQueen’s studio, a space that became a crucible for creative experimentation. Mira assisted backstage, cut his hair, styled his shows, and stood as a constant presence during his most pivotal early collections.

The garments in this archive were not acquired through commerce. They were gifted—acts of gratitude and intimacy from McQueen to Mira. Many were worn by her, or custom-altered for her form, and they remain unfiltered expressions of the designer’s private world.

The Curator: Luke Carter of Three Over Six

The collection has been brought to light through the curatorial direction of Luke Carter, co-founder and director of Three Over Six. With expertise in archival fashion, luxury consignment, and fashion history, Carter has curated this project with scholarly precision and deep emotional care.

From verifying runway provenance and condition, to compiling label documentation and personal narratives, Carter has transformed a private archive into a public offering of rare integrity. His approach honours both the garments and the relationship that shaped them.

As Carter notes in his curatorial introduction: “This is not about McQueen’s mythology. It’s about his humanity.”

The Collection: Intimacy in Design, Radical in Spirit

This archive spans over a decade of McQueen’s work, encompassing runway-worn garments, prototypes, custom pieces, and unreleased designs. Among them are rare examples of McQueen’s early hair labels, in which locks of hair—either his own or gifted by Mira Chai-Hyde—are encased in clear plastic and sewn into the garment lining. Inspired by Victorian mourning rituals, they were McQueen’s most personal signature.

Key pieces include:

• The original ‘Piss Pants’ Bumster trousers, featuring synthetic urine detail and exhibited at both Savage Beauty (The Met) and the V&A Museum—described by curator Andrew Bolton as “a priceless work of art.”
• A hunter green military jacket with gold braid, given to Mira in lieu of formal payment for her creative support.
• A nude silk illusion gown with floral lace appliqué and a hair label—poetic and haunting in equal measure.
• Unlabeled early knit prototypes and raw-edged garments that reveal McQueen’s process at its most vulnerable.

This is a collection composed not for commerce, but for trust. These garments are not mere couture—they are artefacts of friendship, grief, celebration, and fearless experimentation.

Hair Labels: McQueen’s Physical Signature

First appearing in Banshee (AW94) and The Birds (SS95), McQueen’s early hair labels were sewn tokens of vulnerability and love. As he once stated:

“In the early collections, it was my own hair. It was about me giving myself to the collection.”

Later, Mira Chai-Hyde would quietly pass McQueen fragments from her work as a groomer—discarded locks of anonymous hair that McQueen would embed into garments. These details remain among the most emotionally powerful gestures in contemporary fashion history. They are offerings. They are memorials. And they remain entirely unique.

Why Now: A Moment of Reverence and Release

In her personal reflection, Mira Chai-Hyde shares:

“These pieces carry memories, emotion, and a connection to someone who changed the landscape of fashion and touched the lives of so many. My hope is that this collection finds its way to those who will honour it with the same reverence and passion with which it was created.”

This offering is not just a sale—it is a handover of legacy. A passage of narrative, fabric, and spirit to those who understand what it means to care for the memory of a creative visionary.

About Mira Chai-Hyde

Mira Chai-Hyde is a pioneering American men’s groomer and hairstylist whose work spans editorial, runway, and cultural iconography. Named Vidal Sassoon’s Best Barber in 1989 and credited with introducing the faux hawk in the early 1990s, her collaborations include GQ, Vanity Fair, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and U2. Her archive formed part of the landmark 2011 Savage Beauty exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Her relationship with McQueen transcended the professional. It was familial, formative, and deeply collaborative. This collection stands as a tribute not only to McQueen’s design genius but to the extraordinary creative bond they shared.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

The collection is offered exclusively through Three Over Six by expression of interest only. Each submission will be carefully reviewed. Preference will be given to collectors, curators, and institutions with a demonstrated commitment to cultural preservation and McQueen’s legacy.

To inquire or submit an expression of interest, contact:

Luke@threeoversix.com