McQueen's Death hurts Fashion World

Yes, there are other big names: Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney and Paul Smith come to mind. But the sudden death of Alexander McQueen leaves a gaping hole at the center of London as well as the world fashion universe.

McQueen was Britain's shooting star, a man who helped make London cool again in the 1990s. And his personal history helped inspire others.

The son of a London cabbie, the youngest of six siblings, McQueen was a product of the streets, not a posh dilettante with a wealthy family to back his fashion whims.

Now he is gone, due to an apparent suicide that has not been confirmed by his family or the police. And fashion insiders don't see any heir apparent to the enfant terrible who turned catwalk shows into memorable works of performance art.

So what left behind was two unseen collections: one to be shown at Paris Fashion Week and one that was meant to be presented on the day of his death announcement, for his secondary line McQ.