Kate Moss’ cigarette burns boost the value of Alexander McQueen’s iconic suit

A white Gucci suit worn by the late designer Alexander McQueen has gone under the hammer with an estimated price of £3,000 and the reason it’s so desirable? Cigarette burns left by supermodel Kate Moss.

Auctioneers at Kerry Taylor, handling the sale of McQueen’s estate, revealed that the damage has actually increased the suit’s appeal to collectors.

McQueen, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 40, first wore the suit at the 2003 New York Fashion Awards, widely regarded as the “Fashion Oscars,” where he won International Designer of the Year.

He was later spotted in the Tom Ford-designed suit at his Pantheon Ad Lucem show in Paris in 2004. A spokesman for the auction house noted: "While the ensemble shows some signs of wear, these imperfections are part of its narrative as a well-loved piece.

"The holes on the left sleeve, for example, were courtesy of Kate Moss’s cigarette, who he was photographed with backstage at the Pantheon Ad Lucem show."

Alex Baddeley, head of menswear at Kerry Taylor, added that the suit’s condition gives collectors “more of an insight into his life, partying and collecting awards.”

Moss, 52, shared a close friendship with McQueen. The two rose together in the London fashion scene during the early 1990s, making their backstage encounters legendary among fashion insiders.

The cigarette-burned Gucci suit is now a testament not only to McQueen’s groundbreaking work but also to the stories and personalities intertwined with his legendary career.