It's natural to want to commemorate the life of someone whose influence was as great as Alexander McQueen's, but when does a tribute become simply a money-making scheme, exploiting a person's name and image? Five months after Lee McQueen committed suicide, Lola & Bailey is selling a "Long Live McQueen" bag that they suggest would be perfect to "carry your books to uni, take your lunch to work, pack your gym gear or for the grocery shopping." At $49 for a simple cotton canvas tote with black, flocked letters, the mark-up on the tote must be significant, which makes the whole thing feel even more disingenuous. Respecting the deceased is always a tricky subject—especially when they were as influential as McQueen—but there's something vulgar about slapping a name on a tote to be sold alongside "Team Edward" and "Carrie Samantha Charlotte Miranda."
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