At the age of 26 McQueen became the chief designer at the French couture house Givenchy, taking over from fellow Englishman John Galliano. McQueen's appointment caused a stir in Paris (as did the appointment of Galliano at Dior), where the fashion press considered Hubert de Givenchy royalty in French design and McQueen a "commoner."

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Questions about McQueen's talent and ability were quickly silenced, however, after he dazzled Pairs with his first show, which combined exquisite tailoring skills with a hard-edged street style. McQueen was asked to prepare ten collections a year for Givenchy, while continuing to release his own collections under his own name.

Despite McQueen's success at Givenchy, the alliance was never a happy marriage. The young designer's hard-edged chic was at odds with the restrained French elegance of Hubert de Givenchy. To compound the difficulties, McQueen refused to learn French or to immerse himself into French life.

By October 2000 rumors began to spread that McQueen was planning to defect from Givenchy and its parent company LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) and that the other major player in the fashion world, Gucci Group (whose creative director Tom Ford had shown much interest in McQueen and his work), was on the verge of offering McQueen a deal.

In October 2001 McQueen's relationship with LVMH finally ended. Gucci Group bought a 51 per cent share in McQueen's company for a reputed £54,000,000. The deal also included ten new McQueen stores and the establishment of McQueen's own "house" in Paris in 2002. This move shows great faith both in McQueen's talent as a designer and as a businessman.

The McQueen mix of outrageous theater, stunning and provocative design, and precise tailoring promises continued success in the fashion world.

The association between homosexuality and fashion is multifaceted, ranging from the role of clothes as signifiers of sexual orientation to the immense contributions gay men have made at all levels of the fashion industry.

French designer Christian Dior revitalized haute couture after World War II, creating luxurious designs characterized by a feminine classic elegance.

Heralded as the saviour of men's fashion, openly gay designer Tom Ford has both tapped into and assisted the fundamental change in men's attitude towards their appearance.

The highly theatrical style of British fashion designer John Galliano probably reflects his personal style as an openly gay man.