He was a true outsider, respected and revered for a talent that changed fashion forever

Alexander McQueen was, quite simply, the most exciting designer London has ever produced.

He was both of the fashion world and slightly apart from it, and it was, perhaps, this separation which gave him his unique, maverick take on it. As anyone who knew him will testify, he didn't suffer fools: his honesty cut through the often foolish world of fashion like a knife, giving his work an edge that can only come from feeling like an outsider.

The shows he staged in London and, later, in Paris, were unquestionably the most talked-about and eagerly anticipated of the international schedule.

Only McQueen could have persuaded his friend Kate Moss to dance half-naked in a Perspex cage full of butterflies.

For autumn 2002, McQueen staged a show in a former Parisian prison, with six Scandinavian wolves howling in the background as an unsettling accompaniment to his beautifully cut clothes.

His spring 2010 show, entitled Plato's Atlantis, was streamed live over the internet and received so many hits that his website was unable to cope with the demand.

Alexander McQueen was a huge inspiration for every fashion student with dreams of becoming a success. He proved that anyone, from any background, could make it, provided they had the talent and determination to succeed.

He was at the top of his game, respected and revered for a talent which has changed the course of modern fashion forever.