What happened at the finale of McQueen's Spring 1999 show No. 13?

Robots spray-painted a model's dress

Alexander McQueen Quiz: Runway Shows and Fashion Theatrics

Two robotic arms spray-painted Shalom Harlow's white dress at the end of a 1999 runway show, and this Alexander McQueen quiz looks back at shows like that. Play the interactive questions on Savile Row tailoring, Isabella Blow, Givenchy, the Voss glass box, Plato's Atlantis and the Savage Beauty exhibition.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Training
Where did McQueen learn tailoring as a teenager?
School
Which London school did McQueen graduate from in 1992?
Mentor
Which stylist bought McQueen's entire graduate collection?
Givenchy
Which Paris house appointed McQueen as head designer in 1996?
No. 13
What happened at the finale of McQueen's Spring 1999 show No. 13?
Voss
What was the setting of McQueen's 2001 Voss show?
Atlantis
Which shoes from Plato's Atlantis became famous?
Hologram
Which model appeared as a hologram in the 2006 Widows of Culloden show?
Bumsters
What were McQueen's bumster trousers known for?
Museum
Which exhibition of McQueen's work opened at the Met in 2011?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Where did McQueen learn tailoring as a teenager?
Answer: Savile Row in London
He apprenticed at Anderson & Sheppard and Gieves & Hawkes on Savile Row, learning the precise cutting that shaped his later designs.
Q2: Which London school did McQueen graduate from in 1992?
Answer: Central Saint Martins
His MA graduate collection at Central Saint Martins was bought in full by stylist Isabella Blow.
Q3: Which stylist bought McQueen's entire graduate collection?
Answer: Isabella Blow
Isabella Blow became his champion and friend, helping launch his career.
Q4: Which Paris house appointed McQueen as head designer in 1996?
Answer: Givenchy
He led Givenchy from 1996 to 2001 while running his own label in London.
Q5: What happened at the finale of McQueen's Spring 1999 show No. 13?
Answer: Robots spray-painted a model's dress
Shalom Harlow turned on a platform while two industrial robots sprayed her white dress, one of fashion's most famous moments.
Q6: What was the setting of McQueen's 2001 Voss show?
Answer: A mirrored glass box
Guests stared at their own reflections until the lights revealed models inside a glass box that suggested a psychiatric ward.
Q7: Which shoes from Plato's Atlantis became famous?
Answer: Armadillo shoes
The towering armadillo shoes from Spring 2010 were worn by Lady Gaga, and the show was among the first livestreamed on the web.
Q8: Which model appeared as a hologram in the 2006 Widows of Culloden show?
Answer: Kate Moss
A ghostly hologram of Kate Moss floated inside a glass pyramid at the show's finale.
Q9: What were McQueen's bumster trousers known for?
Answer: A very low-cut waistline
The bumster sat far lower than usual and helped kick off the low-rise trend of the late 1990s.
Q10: Which exhibition of McQueen's work opened at the Met in 2011?
Answer: Savage Beauty
Savage Beauty drew huge crowds in New York and later at London's Victoria and Albert Museum in 2015.

Alexander Mcqueen Quiz – Theater on the Runway

Alexander McQueen, born in London in 1969, combined Savile Row tailoring with dark, romantic storytelling. After apprenticing with tailors and studying at Central Saint Martins, he was discovered by stylist Isabella Blow.

He became head designer at Givenchy in 1996 while building his own label. His shows were staged like theater: robots painted a dress in No. 13, models moved inside a glass box in Voss and a hologram of Kate Moss closed The Widows of Culloden.

Plato's Atlantis in 2010 introduced armadillo shoes and was streamed online. McQueen died in 2010, and the Savage Beauty exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011 became one of the museum's most visited shows.

What This Quiz Teaches

Fashion fans and design students will find these questions useful.

Where McQueen trained
Who discovered him
Which shows made history
What bumsters were
How museums honored his work

Did You Know?

McQueen won British Designer of the Year four times.
Sarah Burton succeeded him as creative director.
Highland Rape referenced Scottish history.
Skull scarves became a brand signature.
He was known as Lee to friends.