(Photo taken from a postcard bought at V&A, Look 91, Alexander McQueen - Bugle beads and net)
It was mesmerising and captivating. The music and lighting beautifully balanced to create a slightly hypnotic effect, showcasing the dramatic spectacle that encapsulated the vision of Alexander McQueen.
I don’t how the organisers at the Victoria and Albert museum did it, but somehow they had managed to distil McQueen’s essence into the atmosphere. Or at least that’s how it felt for me.
Sometimes in life when your expectations are high, they are rarely met, or maybe this is the cynic in me. This was not the case yesterday. I was instantly drawn in, marvelling at the collections displayed at the Alexander McQueen - Savage Beauty exhibition.
The exhibition is first and largest retrospective of the late designer’s work to be presented in Europe. It showcases McQueen’s designs from his 1992 MA graduate collection to his unfinished A/W 2010 collection.
One of my favourite collections was VOSS, Spring/Summer 2001, also known as the ‘Asylum’ show. I understand that on the catwalk, it was staged inside a vast two-way mirrored box, which the models couldn’t see out of to start with. Of the show, McQueen said, ‘It was about trying to trap something that wasn’t conventionally beautiful to show that beauty comes from within.’
(photo taken from Alexander McQueen book, bought at V&A - Look from the VOSS collection)
So, the exhibition satisfied my appetite for fashion, but as I lingered at each mannequin and video screen, I flipped between wonder and sadness. Wonder because, to me his blend of drama, theatrics, emotion and couture were perfectly balanced in each piece. Each design showcases his attention to detail, and the mastery with which he created such beauty from the dark, mysterious, unexpected and sometimes the ugly and grotesque. But sadness because a talent like his, is no longer with us.
And whilst the brand, Alexander McQueen is still such a successful powerhouse reaching the masses, I can’t help feeling that the magic has been diluted with his passing, something intangible and really rather special has been lost. What a true artist Alexander McQueen was and his artistry continues to be inspirational.PS: this has been one of the hardest posts to write, to date, I really felt that “wow” and “OMG” weren’t going to cut it. I have been thinking about what to write since yesterday and have been completely waylaid this afternoon by the beautiful Alexander McQueen book I bought in the shop, edited by Claire Wilcox. I’m not sure if I have done the exhibition justice, but I hope so, and if you want to go, let me know, I’m pretty sure I can free up my diary…
(Photo taken from a postcard bought at V&A, Look 45, Alexander McQueen - Silk faille and tuille with boning, with fresh and silk flowers)