The ashes of Alexander McQueen, the British fashion icon, are to be scattered on the Isle of Skye by his family. The 40-year-old, before he committed suicide, told his family that he wanted the island to be his final place of rest. He thought of the island as his ancestral home, and his family will travel there in the next few weeks to carry out his wishes.

McQueen was very proud of his Scottish ancestry, as his father Ronald was Skye-born, and he celebrated this in his fashion creations. When he found out that he had Jacobite ancestors, he claimed it was one his ancestors that brought Bonnie Prince Charlie to safety on the island after his Culloden defeat.

McQueen showed a provocative 1995 collection, controversially called Highland Rape, which featured models wearing torn tartan. He said that his anger at the atrocities done by the Duke of Cumberland’s troops were what inspired the collection. Then in 2004, the designer was asked the meaning of his Scottish roots, and he said that they meant everything to him.

Talking about his wishes, McQueen’s brother Michael said that he made it clear that he wanted his ashes to be scattered on the Isle of Skye. This is where the family is originally from, and they will honor his wishes, he continued. McQueen had been there many times over the years, Michael added, and he felt a real connection there.

McQueen is getting a Dressed to Kilt tribute next month, which will showcase Scottish fashion. It is being organized by Sir Sean Connery. Michael said that McQueen would have been honored.

Alexander McQueen has won a top design award after his death for his Spring/Summer 2010 fashion collection, which was streamed online to 40 million viewers from Paris’s fashion show. The Brit Insurance Design of the Year award shortlist was made out before the British designer died last month at only 40 years old, and he won the fashion category. Also in the running was singer Beth Ditto, who was nominated for the collection she created for plus-size clothes store Evans.

Judge and Grazia magazine style director Paula Reed said that the jury wants to make it clear that the choice to put McQueen up for the award was made before his death and not for sentimental reasons. The designer was working on developing fabrics that could blend the hard into soft throughout his career, she continued, and had come pretty close to achieving that in this collection. The impressiveness compounds the huge loss of his life, she said, adding that McQueen is a clear winner.

Experts in the industry nominated international designs from 7 categories, which include: product, architecture, transport, furniture, fashion, graphics and interactive. Others up for the Design of the Year award in other categories include Monterrey Housing, a new model for Mexican social housing, and Grassworks, for a flat pack furniture kit. Chair of the judges Antony Gormley, an artist, says that winners of the 7 categories provide a glimpse at some of the most outstanding designs over the last year.

Now a winner of all 7 of the categories will be announced March 16. The shortlisted designs and winning entries will be shown at the Design Museum until June 6.

A French luxury group has announced their intention to continue Alexander McQueen’s fashion line after his death last week. Francois-Henri Pinault, PPR president, said that this will be the best tribute they can offer him.

Last Thursday, the British fashion designer hanged himself in his wardrobe and even left a note. The incident came the day before he was to attend his mother’s funeral, following her death on February 2. He and his mother were very close, and he was distraught over her death.

As for McQueen’s fashion label, there are 11 boutiques and 180 people employed by the label worldwide. It is part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by PPR.

The announcement from the French group was made at a press conference after they revealed that profits increased 6.9% last year, which was partially due to the sale of CFAO, their African distribution business. The company’s net profit was £857 million ($1.3 billion) for last year, up from the year before. Pinault said that PPR had a notable financial performance last year despite the worldwide recession.

In a statement from Gucci Group, the company expressed their interest in continuing the growth of McQueen’s brand. They said that they are committed to presenting the collection at Paris Fashion Week in just a couple weeks. President and chief executive Robert Polet said that he strongly believes in the future of the brand, and McQueen will have a legacy that Gucci will continue protecting, growing and celebrating.

The so successful designer became the chief designer at Givenchy in 1996. He started creating his own label, and a majority stake in the label was bought by Gucci in 2001. McQueen had also won 4 British Designer of the Year awards.

Apparently Alexander McQueen wrote a suicide note before hanging himself in his wardrobe. The British fashion designer was found in his home just last Thursday.

The coroner, Dr Paul Knapman, opened an investigation into the cause of the designer’s death on Wednesday and was given the note found at the scene. Paul Armstrong, the detective inspector, told the court that no suspicious circumstances surround his death. The court was also told that the postmortem examination of the 40-year-old showed that he died from hanging and asphyxiation. Janet McQueen, Alexander’s sister, identified her brother’s body on Thursday after he was found, the court heard. This will not be the end of the inquest, as it will continue on April 28.

Family representative Jonathan Coad didn’t make any comment afterward, but a note was passed to media reporters, requesting they respect the family’s privacy. The note asked that they recognize the double loss the family has suffered in such a short amount of time and that any intrusive and/or insensitive footage and/or photographs will only increase their distress.

The day after he was found, Alexander was suppose to meet his family for his mother’s funeral, who died on February 2. He had written on his Twitter page that the week had been awful, and some of his friends and colleagues were beginning to worry about his weird behavior. His death was still a big shock to them all, as well as the fashion industry and the many celebrities who loved his work. Alexander was one of the best designers in Britain, having won the British Designer of the Year Award 4 times.

On Thursday, British fashion icon Alexander McQueen was found dead in his Central London home. The death appears to be a suicide, as he was found hanged, and police don’t suspect anything suspicious.

The 40-year-old had been going through a rough time over the last week and half. His mother, Joyce, died last Tuesday, and he has been grieving her since. Her funeral was set for today, and he was suppose to attend. McQueen is also said to have been getting over a recent breakup, while his friends say he was under a lot of pressure to get his autumn/winter collection done for launch next month in Paris. Seems he had a lot on his plate!

Friends and colleagues had become worried about McQueen recently when he started showing erratic behavior, but his death has shocked them all. In a statement from his company, they say that are devastated and share the same grief and shock as his family. Staff leaving the headquarters of the company were so upset they didn’t even want to talk.

McQueen’s suicide comes as a big loss for the British fashion industry, because he was a very successful commercial designer and one of the most respected. His McQ line was suppose to show at New York Fashion Week on Thursday, but they had to cancel it. This will also hinder London Fashion Week when it starts next week.

The fashion icon designed pieces that have been largely worn by celebrities like Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Kate Moss – all of whom are sure to be mourning his death like the many others who have posted their condolences on Twitter. He was known for having an incredible imagination and creating unique pieces.