A day after his apparent suicide, the fashion world is confronted by a familiar question: Can his company thrive without his inspiration?
Many brands have succeeded: When Gianni Versace was gunned down in Miami Beach, his sister Donatella took over.
But McQueen's work is considered so unique that some are voicing serious doubts.
"It is a very powerful brand, but it's almost impossible to separate him from it," British fashion editor Jessica Brown said.
McQueen, who rose to fame in the 1990s, was known for his daring and edgy style and skillful tailoring. He is credited with helping to revive the once-moribund British fashion industry.
"Creating those show-stopping pieces - there isn't anyone who does that. And he has exceptional skills as a cutter, because of his background in tailoring," Brown said.
In the interview published this week in Love magazine, McQueen was also quoted as saying he thought fashion shows were going to evolve "within the next 10 years."
The French retail luxury group PPR declined to speak Friday on what will happen to Alexander McQueen's brand or give any further comment beyond a statement released a day earlier by its CEO, Francois-Henri Pinault, praising McQueen's "genius" and calling him "one of the greatest designers of his generation."
"He generated emotion at the release of each one of his collections," Pinault said. "As a visionary and avant-gardist, his creations were inspired by both tradition and ultra-modernity, making them timeless."
A tough act to follow, leaving the fashion world a number of succession models
- some successful, others less so.
Versace's death in 1997 was as unexpected as McQueen's, and came at a time when the company was considering going public. Sister Donatella, already in a creative position designing for the Versus label, moved up as the new head of design.
But the company has never gone public and acknowledged it has had to battle to keep up sales as the luxury world has been hit hard during the world's financial meltdown.
In contrast with the Versace succession, Franco Moschino's company went ahead using the sketches the innovative Italian designer left behind after his death following a long illness in 1994.
When Tom Ford moved in to take over design at Gucci, he turned the staid leather company inside out to create a brand new sexy Gucci style that became the hottest made-in-Italy label.
When he left the company and turned his talent to his own menswear label and new career as a film director, designer Frida Giannini never turned back and kept up a contemporary look.
Karl Lagerfeld has faithfully kept up Coco Chanel's inspiration since taking over as designer at the French fashion house in 1983. Chanel, famous for the little black bag, died in 1971.
