“I want to be honest about the world that we live in, and sometimes my political persuasions come through in my work. Fashion can be really racist, looking at the clothes of other cultures as costumes. . . . That’s mundane and it’s old hat. Let’s break down some barriers.” – Alexander McQueen
The Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition has concluded its record-breaking run at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The 661,509 persons lucky enough get through the doors between May 4th and August 7th contributed to the museum’s eighth most popular show in its 141 years of existence. Get this – the MET even sent out a letter informing members that their standard “cut the line” member privilege would not apply for the McQueen show. Well played, MET; keep it gangsta’, keep it classy.
So, why all the hype?
A bit about the late Alexander McQueen. The British designer started out tailoring on London’s Savile Row, then went on to spearhead Givenchy before launching his own line of couture five years later. His career spanned nearly two decades, and his tragic passing had a profound effect on the fashion world. Proving that style transcends time and geographical boundaries, the most noteworthy fashionistas in popular culture have rocked McQueen’s avant- garde fashions in recent years including First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Bjork, Naomi Campbell, Salma Hayek, Sarah Jessica Parker, and naturally, Lady Gaga. Who could forget Ga’s head to heel McQueen clad command in the “Bad Romance” video: “walk, walk, fashion baby, work it, move that bitch crazy”…YES, sister! Work it out in those Armadillos, you work that out! The sentiment of the track matched the clothes on her back – horror, design, drama, leather studded ness, the “everything” that was Alexander McQueen.
But the theme of romanticism was also front and center in his fashions via the incorporation of natural elements and raw materials. McQueen’s modern take on design was rooted in tradition, with many of his collections reflecting his Scottish heritage. He was inspired by the Victorian Goths of the nineteenth century – a fusion of horror and romance. Alexander also had an affinity for ancient African tribes and their rituals of dress, and according to his personal website, he returned to the theme of primitivism throughout his career. If only for a limited engagement we took it in, with all of its distortion and beautiful intensity.
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“There’s no way back for me now. I am going to take you on journeys you’ve never dreamed were possible.” – Alexander McQueen
The Savage Beauty exhibit showcased approximately 100 of McQueen’s most elaborate ensembles and 70 accessories. The themed galleries felt like a haunted house, if you read into it too much. Strange lighting, monk-like drones and howling wolf sounds, candelabras and footage of super models wearing the late designer’s pieces on runway were accented by exaggerated silhouettes, what looked like over-sized golden caskets eradicated from Ancient Egypt and rare fabrics manipulated like embroidered clay. People were just staring…and staring, at the pieces. McQueen believed fashion was an expression of culture, politics and identity. “Romantic Exoticism,” “Widows of Culloden,” “Plato’s Atlantis” and the unofficially titled “Angles and Demons” were among the collection titles. Knowing as little about couture as I do (the curvaceous size 13 that I am), I peaked underneath a few of the shorter garments for a look; crazy detail and nearly invisible stitching. McQueen incorporated jet-black synthetic hair, duck feathers, horsehair, porcupine quills and a variety of materials into his designs that made for an over-the-top display of posthumous showmanship. It was all very tribal. The accessories were held in the “Romantic Gothic and the Cabinet of Curiosities” room, which boasted steel embellished muzzles, chain link face plates, fancy leathers, shells, twisted wire neck pieces, armor, jewel encrusted devil horns and elaborate head-dresses reminiscent of the Ming Dynasty period. The S&M lover was at home here, we’ll say.
In a separate section was that incomparable Kate Moss hologram (the opener for McQueen’s 2006 Fall / Winter show) – not the video, the actual hologram. This was no small feat for The Costume Institute, who organized the exhibit. I’d only seen the hologram video on YouTube and assumed it was one a once in a lifetime experience for those who attended McQueen’s March 2006 show at Paris Fashion Week. Coupled with the otherworldly ambiance, the “Schindler’s List” classical concerto which served as the soundtrack to Moss’s digitized levitation was appropriate. It was no doubt the intent of those who brilliantly transformed a small space at the MET into a tribute worthy of the McQueen standard, and that passion was evident even to the most fashion-inept onlookers. (NOTE: Kate Moss Hologram)
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“People find my things sometimes aggressive. But I don’t see it as aggressive. I see it as romantic, dealing with a dark side of personality.” – Alexander McQueen
If you didn’t get the chance to check out the Savage Beauty exhibit first hand in NYC, you’re in luck – just have your passport ready. Post the astounding success at the MET, fashion editors are making their case that the display should travel the world and ultimately “come home” to McQueen’s native UK. Some, such as UK’s Grazia fashion editor-at-large Melanie Rickey, believe showing McQueen’s work in the United States was a mistake.
She stated bluntly in her blog, “the fact remains that the exhibition should have been staged in London. It’s a well- known fact that most British editors think that the McQueen exhibition took place in New York is a scandal.” Rickey sites Alexander’s roots, his London education as a tailor, his UK business base and his connection to the local community in her argument, adding that London’s Victoria & Albert Museum would be the appropriate choice to celebrate a native son. Wherever it’s displayed, the detailed craftsmanship and imaginative designs of Alexander McQueen will live on for years to come.
