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Will the McQueen brand live on?

The sudden death of Alexander McQueen leaves Gucci Group, the parent company of the British designer's eponymous fashion house, to decide whether it can chart a future for a brand that was inextricably linked to its creator. Mr. McQueen was due to present his fashion collection on Paris' runway in less than a month.

While the Alexander McQueen fashion house was lauded for its daring designs, its financial performance was less successful. Gucci Group, part of French retail-to-luxury group PPR SA, spent years pushing it to make money, and the company only turned a profit in 2007, seven years after Gucci bought a majority stake in it

Mr. McQueen's "creative force was inspiring to me and all those who were fortunate to know and work with him," Gucci Group Chief Executive Robert Polet said in an email. "He has left us too soon; he had so much more to give, but the legacy he leaves us is a rich one and one that we will cherish and honor." Gucci Group declined to comment about the future of the fashion house......

Read the full story By CHRISTINA PASSARIELLO Wall Street Journal