Helena Yang
Mental Health and Fashion
When people think of fashion, images of beautifully constructed gowns and hand-sewn
embellishments on couture garments typically come to mind. However people forget to consider
the extensive amount of effort put into creating each piece. Despite what consumers are shown,
there is a darker side to the fashion industry that is not as frequently exposed. What many people
may not know about the fashion industry is how it pushes fashion designers to the brink of
mental breakdowns. How exactly does working in the fashion industry influence the way mental
illness impacts designers? Due to the type of environment the fashion industry imposes,
renowned fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen have experienced signs of mental
illness as a result of being pressured and criticized by the industry.
When McQueen started to turn into someone he did not want to be, it affected how he
perceived himself and consequently his mental health. Coming from a middle class family,
McQueen struggled to fit in with the other fashion industry members. He was pressured to
change his original name, Lee McQueen, to Alexander McQueen, which sounded much more
refined. 1 This simple change to his name anticipated other changes that would come with his
new career. Ironically McQueen used to poke fun at the lavish lifestyles and pretentious attitudes
of fashion designers. But he too began to adapt to the typical “kind of fashion person that he
loathed-demanding, materialistic, status-obsessed,” in Callahan’s words. 2 This illustrates
McQueen’s difficulty staying true to himself and his varying behavior. When someone
experiences distinct changes in their usual behavior, it points towards possible signs of bipolar
"Designed for Destruction," Vanity Fair, September 1, 2014. Accessed March 20, 2015,
http://www.vanityfair.com/unchanged/2014/09/alexander-mcqueen-isabella-blow.
2 Ibid
1
disorder 3, which he must have began experiencing at the time. If McQueen acted one way
towards his loved ones and another to those he worked with, he was guaranteed to experience an
internal clash.
The pressure of not being able to fit in with other industry members impacted McQueen’s
career and contributed to his mental illness. As a designer McQueen did not want to create
clothing that was purely marketable; he wanted to create designs he was proud of 4 and that had
meaning behind them. In a New York Times article, McQueen’s collections were described as
ones “that aimed to have the punch of art and that were sometimes political, sociological,
shocking and scary.” 5 McQueen must have realized how difficult it would be for him to truly
please both himself and his critics. According to WebMD symptoms of depression include
“feelings of worthlessness, and/or helplessness.” 6 If more and more people criticized
McQueen’s designs, he must have felt helpless at some point in time.
McQueen’s changes in character were influenced by the stress of numerous collection
deadlines, which made his paranoia evident. According to Mental Health America’s definition,
“Symptoms of paranoia and paranoid disorders include intense and irrational mistrust or
suspicion, which can bring on rage, hatred, and betrayal.” 7 When McQueen was made designer
at Givenchy in 1996, he left his inspirational partner and mentor, Isabella Blow, in the dark
"Bipolar Disorder," National Institute of Mental Health, Accessed April 10, 2015,
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml.
4
"Designed for Destruction."
5 “Alexander McQueen Times Topics,”New York Times, Accessed April 23, 2015,
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/alexander_mcqueen/index.
6 “Symptoms of Depression,” Web Medical Docters, Accessed April 23, 2015.
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/detecting-depression?
7
"Paranoia and Paranoid Disorders," Mental Health America, Accessed April 10, 2015,
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/paranoia-and-paranoid-disorders.
3
without providing her a job title even with his new position.8 This shows signs of betrayal and
mistrust, which is deemed common in paranoid patients. McQueen needed to juggle his personal,
couture, and pret-a-porter lines all at once and make a profit. 9As Callahan put it, “His great
baseline fear was that everyone he knew, except his mother, was using him.” 10 Because of his
new position, and the considerable amount of work that went along with it, McQueen was most
likely trying to protect himself from the possibility of getting hurt or cheated by others.
In addition to having signs of paranoia, it is evident that McQueen was beginning to
experience strong emotions that he could not control as a result of his career, making his bipolar
disorder even more apparent. When McQueen was younger, he was known to be caring and kind
which changed when his career took off. Designer Julien Macdonald who worked with McQueen
said, ‘“He was so crazy. One minute he’d be a wonderful person, and the next he’d be telling
people to piss off.”’ 11 According to the National Institue of Mental Health (NIMH), common
signs of bipolar disorder also include “intense emotional states that occur in distinct periods
called ‘mood episodes.’” 12 It is common for the individual to shift between excited and
depressive states, which McQueen displayed often according to those who worked with him.
Because of the tremendous amount of work McQueen had on his plate, it impacted his
personal relationships with others, which made it even more difficult for him to keep his head
above water in such a demanding industry. Callahan from Vanity Far concisely put it, “Beset by
so much self-loathing amid so much beauty…alienating friends and colleagues, sabotaging
8
"Designed for Destruction."
Ibid
10
Ibid
11
Ibid
12
"Bipolar Disorder," NIMH, Accessed April 10, 2015 http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolardisorder/index.shtml.
9
themselves, and, in the designer’s case, degrading himself.”13 This demonstrates how McQueen
isolated himself but also managed to put himself down which affected his self-esteem. Other
behavioral changes commonly seen in bipolar individuals according to NIMH include, “behaving
impulsively and engaging in pleasureable, high-risk behabiors.” 14 This can be seen in
McQueen’s use and abuse of hard drugs such as ecstacy in addition to having sexual relations
with various people in order to find pleasure. He dealt with his pain by using drugs or having
sex. 15 By pushing away long time friends and avoiding criticism, McQueen was beginning to
detach himself and cope in destructive ways.
Unfortunately the pressure did get too much for McQueen. He took his own life and had
tried to commit suicide two times prior to his successful suicide. 16 McQueen’s suicide attempts
confirm his depressive symptoms and depressive episodes as someone who was also
experiencing bipolar disorder. “He was named Designer of the Year by the British Fashion
Council. He had the most prestigious slot at London Fashion Week, showing last,” Callahand
stated. 17 The brand and name he built for himself was taking over and becoming more than
McQueen himself. This demonstrates how McQueen’s recognition in the industry made others
more vigilant in regards to what his next creative move would be. This would make it almost
impossible for McQueen to take even the slightest break from work.
Due to the methodology and the fast pace of the industry, designers are also limited in
terms of their design process, which creates even more pressure. Jean Paul Gaultier offered his
opinion on ready-to-wear fashion stating, “‘the frenetic pace’ of creating collections which
13
“Designed for Destruction.”
"Bipolar Disorder."
15
"Designed for Destruction."
16
Ibid
17 Ibid
14
doesn’t ‘leave any freedom, nor the necessary time, to find fresh ideas and to innovate.’” 18 This
demonstrates how the industry turns the creative process of designing, finding inspiration, and
creating into something systematic. This tarnishes the beauty of the design process and prevents
designers from developing even more substantial ideas.
When it comes to working in the high fashion industry, there is a prevailing unhealthy
mental state that designer’s in addition to McQueen experience too. Designers such as John
Galliano and Raf Simons have both felt the pressure. When Raf Simons took over Dior, he had
to create the Paris house collection in addition to his own label 19 much like McQueen had to
when he became the designer at Givenchy. Raf Simons posed a contemplative question, “‘I’ve
come to really question the system…As much as I am part of it,”’ stated Simons, ‘“How far can
it go until the moment that it might not work any more?”’20 Simon precisely pin points the flaws
of the fashion industry by asking when the demands and pressures designers endure will finally
be too much.
Because McQueen put a significant amount of pressure on himself in addition to what the
press was dishing at him, his mental state changed significantly. There must have been a vicious
cycle McQueen faced between meeting his own standards, keeping critics happy, and the need to
bring more to the table than what others expected. As Allwood explained in her comparison of
McQueen and designer John Galliano, “both shared the unquenchable desire to push the
boundaries of fashion, season after season.” 21 These two designers both faced mental
breakdowns during their careers as a result of, essentially, pushing themselves to destruction.
"Mental Health in Fashion: It's Time to Talk," Dazed, February 12, 2015. Accessed March 20, 2015,
http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/23582/1/mental-health-in-fashion-it-s-time-to-talk.
19 Ibid
20 Ibid
21 Ibid
18
McQueen’s career demonstrates the rollercoaster of a ride it can be to work in the fashion
industry and just how influential the industry can be on one’s mental health.
Works Cited
“Alexander McQueen Times Topics.” New York Times. Accessed April 23, 2015.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/alexander_mcqueen/index.
Allwood, Hope. "Mental Health in Fashion: It's Time to Talk." Dazed. February 12, 2015.
Accessed March 20, 2015.
"Bipolar Disorder." National Institute of Mental Health. Accessed April 10, 2015.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml.
Callahan, Maureen. "Designed for Destruction." Vanity Fair. September 2014. Accessed
March 20, 2015.
"Paranoia and Paranoid Disorders." Mental Health America. Accessed April 10, 2015.
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/paranoia-and-paranoid-disorders.
“Symptoms of Depression.” Web Medical Docters. Accessed April 23, 2015.
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/detecting-depression?