Alexander McQueen: beauty.

The office of Alexander McQueen confirmed the fashion designer has taken his own life. He was forty years old.

We'll skip over the details which readers will be bombarded with from all sides. Here's a more personal view.

You won't read much about fashion on our pages. I, for one, know nothing about it. Don't care much for it. Well, I care about art and the Keats quote: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all/ Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'

I love beauty and chance led me to seeing Alexander McQueen's dresses and I fell in love with them.

In a very Seinfeld "it's all about me" reaction, it occurred to me McQueen would never design the dress when I marry Eddie Izzard (that would be one day after Izzard and I meet of course).

Alexander McQueen was openly gay and "the pink sheep of the family". Every life is complex and beyond comprehension. It is still true though that suicide rates amongst gay people are troubling.

Here's a view of some of my favourite McQueen dresses. I apologise for the lack for fashion-savvy language (not) accompanying them.