Bill Davila/Startraks
The year was 2006. Sarah Jessica Parker, still reveling in her stylish Sex and the City glow, arrived at the Met Costume Institute Gala, designer Lee Alexander McQueen by her side. The pair couldn’t be missed: not only was McQueen in a kilt, but he and Parker were both wrapped in plaid — his family’s tartan. It was McQueen’s first time attending the prestigious event, but no one could’ve imagined it’d be his last. “I adored him,” Parker told reporters last night while walking the carpet at the 2011 Met Gala — a celebration of McQueen — in another of the designer’s creations. “It was a wonderful, wonderful night.” Parker compared her 2006 experience to that of a shy couple preparing for prom. “It was a quiet car ride,” she recalled. “I had his corsage in my lap, waiting until we met. I’m grateful for that memory, which is vivid, regardless of him passing.” McQueen, known for being a bit of an introvert, stuck by his date’s side all night as they navigated the fashionable crowds. “He wasn’t a terrifically chatty person. He’s not comfortable in environments like these. But I find that charming. And we got through the evening.” Parker, who called the designer “preternaturally gifted,” said she hopes people remember McQueen’s talent as a whole. “I think one shouldn’t pick one memory or recall one thing,” she explained. “He could create clothing that nobody else wanted to, nobody else saw in their imagination. And he did it with great seriousness and flair and whimsy and savagery. I think this exhibit is a wonderful example of that.” –Reporting by K.C. Baker and Jeffrey Slonim
Courtesy Target
