“Every day can be Mother’s Day” – this is like the inevitable truth that “the sun rises from the east”. Even though “motherly love” filled the entire internet yesterday, please remember, yesterday was just a collective consciousness to make children around the world happier to share family joy with their mothers. After yesterday, we must remember even more to always maintain the concept of filial piety towards our mothers (and fathers), especially when you are enjoying prosperity or going through, or have gone through, hardships. The following fashion designers perfectly demonstrate whether “mother” is just a person or your spiritual pillar.
Alexander McQueen
I’m sorry, but with this story as a starting point, there is a bit of sadness – but it is a story that I believe should be remembered well by everyone. “I fear I will die before you” – In 2004, Alexander Lee McQueen (referred to as Lee) was interviewed by his mother Joyce McQueen in an unusual role reversal in The Guardian: “What do you fear the most?” From Lee’s answer, it can be seen how much he feared his mother being hurt and upset. Growing up in a working-class family, Lee was influenced by his teacher mother from a young age, particularly sensitive to art. Before the age of 10, he gradually discovered a strong interest in clothing design from sewing long skirts for his three sisters. Finally, encouraged by his mother and aunt, he went to Milan and Savile Row to study, and then became a tailoring instructor at the prestigious Central Saint Martin’s College.
After completing his studies, Lee initially faced criticism from the “conservatives,” but with his mother’s silent support, he persevered and gradually made a name for himself in the fashion world. Going against the grain, Lee’s decision to come out remains the most profound impression he has left on history. The reason he dared to announce his “coming out” was also due to his mother’s companionship, comfort, and support. In February 2010, as he was preparing for the new season of Paris Fashion Week, Lee’s mother passed away on February 2nd. When this news spread in Lee’s circle, everyone knew that something terrible was about to happen because Lee had lost the most important pillar in his life, and just before his mother’s departure, he had already lost the two most important women in his life (his aunt and his friend Isabella Blow).
Renowned fashion stylist and friend of Lee, George Blodwell, shared in the UK’s “Daily News” that Lee’s life goal was to make his mother proud, doing everything to make her happy. After his mother passed away, his team revealed: “He couldn’t handle it, he spent the whole week lying in bed, locking himself at home. But with the fashion show approaching, his subordinates begged him to get up and work, but he refused.” Later, he tweeted: “After a terrible week, friends are still very kind, but now I must rebuild myself with angels and demons from hell.” Ultimately, on the morning of February 11th, on the eve of his mother’s funeral, he was found hanging in his residence, at the age of 40.
Raf Simons
After hearing Lee’s story, it’s inevitable that everyone will be reminded of this tragedy again. Perhaps share a more heartwarming and interesting story.
Known as the “screaming bag” in the fashion world, Belgian design master Raf Simons is actually a very filial son. Hailing from the small town of Neerpelt in northern Belgium, a place that has never valued creative culture or design art, he eventually became a fashion designer in 1995 after much effort, successfully launching his first menswear collection under his own name brand. Still not well-known, Raf Simons’ parents became his first “investors,” gifting him a fax machine symbolizing that he would receive his first order after establishing his brand. As hoped, Raf Simons began his design journey. Fast forward to 2012, Raf Simons was about to debut his first fashion show as the creative director of Dior. The show ended successfully, with a standing ovation from the audience and congratulations from all the fashion bigwigs backstage. However, amidst the crowd, Raf Simons saw his parents, and the “screaming bag” couldn’t help but cry silently, embracing his mother and even hugging his father, showing that this fashion legend, while able to remain calm in the face of such significant events, becomes a child again in front of his parents.
Interestingly, Raf Simons’ mother and another fashion legend, also from Belgium, the master Martin Margiela’s mother, come from the same village, and as Raf Simons grew from a student to an adult, he was influenced by Martin Margiela’s ideas, and the two mothers later became good friends.
Yohji Yamamoto
Yohji Yamamoto, inspired by non-traditional fashion, walked alone from Tokyo to Paris, bravely leading the fashion world to view fashion from another dimension. Who exactly inspired this legend?
“I must strive. I must protect my mother.”
During the Second World War, when Yamamoto Yoji was not even a year old, his father, a fisherman, was conscripted by Japan and soon after news of his death came. From then on, his mother, who worked as a seamstress, single-handedly raised him. Yamamoto Yoji shared, “At the age of only 3 or 4, I knew that my life would be very difficult.” His mother, determined to support the family on her own, diligently honed her sewing skills at the time, sewing clothes for neighbors day and night. She never realized how deeply she would influence Yamamoto Yoji’s life in the future. “My life was opened by my mother. Therefore, I have always believed that women are stronger than men.”
With his father dying in battle, Yoji Yamamoto mentioned in his autobiography “My Dear Bomb” that his upbringing was the main factor shaping his “rebellious” personality. He even mentioned in an interview with “Independent”: “Whenever I think of my father, I feel the inner war spreading, that anger has never left.” Yoji Yamamoto, who has always relied on his mother, although born in poverty, never felt miserable. At the age of 23, he graduated from Keio University’s law department, but left a high-paying job to tell his mother that he wanted to become a tailor to help her, causing his mother to give him the silent treatment for two weeks. Finally, his mother finally told Yoji Yamamoto frankly: “If you really want to help me, then go to school and learn properly.”
Finally, he entered the Bunka Fashion College, and after more than ten years of studying, he met his close friend Rei Kawakubo. Together, they showcased a groundbreaking fashion vision in Paris, using monochromatic black tones and loose silhouettes in the 1980s to challenge the traditional concept of femininity, exploring women’s independence and empowering them through fashion. To this day, Yohji Yamamoto’s mother is 103 years old, and the teacher himself, in his seventies, admits, “I am very afraid of my mother’s passing. If I lose her, I cannot imagine how deep and intense that emotion will be…”
