Lee Alexander McQueen was a man who redefined fashion, his ethereal designs are the thing of legend, and his name has become synonymous with innovation. At only forty years old, McQueen was recognized of as one of the world’s foremost designers. So when he was found dead in his London home on February 11, 2010, just at New York Fashion Week began, the world was both stunned and devastated.

As the final sixteen dresses McQueen cut made their way down a runway at Paris Fashion Week, one could undoubtedly feel the awe and heartbreak in the room. The collection was poignant, with religious iconography sewn into the fabric, and broken skulls and angels carved onto the shoes. These pieces currently retail for an average of $40,250.

The world mourned, as evidenced with designers dedicating their shows to him, Naomi Campbell and other models paying tribute to him at the Fashion for Relief show, and a multitude of department stores and boutiques mounting windows in his honor. The British Fashion Council set up a board in the main fashion week tent allowing visitors to pin their messages to, and about McQueen. These 1,200 messages, including those from Sir Paul Smith and British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, will be compiled into a book.

McQueen’s parent company, the Gucci Group, has announced plans to continue the Alexander McQueen brand without its founding designer. But one has stand assured that Lee Alexander McQueen’s legacy will live on.