Like the rest of the fashion world, we were shocked and saddened yesterday when news broke of iconic designer Alexander McQueen's death. We were even more shocked this morning however, when we checked our Twitter feed to see that Telegraph journalist and author Toby Young had written a blog claiming that the late designer's fame and influence was more to do with his 'charisma' than his talent.
Young, author of How To Lose Friends and Alienate People, said that McQueen was "not a 'genius', unless by that you mean a gift for self-presentation. But someone who managed to survive at the top of a very competitive game for over 10 years through sheer force of personality."
He went on to say that following overseeing several fashion shoots (including an Alexander McQueen shoot for Vanity Fair in 1996) he "realised that there’s no such thing as talent in fashion," and that "the thing that really stood out [about McQueen] was the cult of personality he had managed to create around himself."
What do you think? Is Toby Young right to say that Alexander McQueen got to the top through his personality rather than his talent?
Have your say by commenting and voting in our poll below...
Take a look at Alexander McQueen's life in pictures
