I did a lot of good, unimaginable things this year but finally seeing the super coveted Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit at the V&A London with my very own two big eyes has to be the highlight of my year. It was on everyone’s to-see list from fashionistas to people not even concerned with fashion and once you got there you realised just why. This exhibit was so well thought out and perfectly executed with attention paid to every key detail necessary to bring to life the genius that McQueen was and his fashion house still continues to be under the creative direction of Sarah Jane Burton.
The exhibit begins with a video clip of one of his runway shows and some of his designs on display in full McQueen style. People gather around trying to get into McQueen’s psyche and understand what he was all about. He was a genius and his genius is evident and beautifully curated. You can see and feel the emotional beauty and intelligence that was McQueen. You realize the creative places his mind has been to and the depth he possessed to create something so lasting. It’s a highly emotional exhibition very dark and very deep. It makes me realize that the creative mind sees beautiful things far beyond what most people see and going to such depths makes them highly vulnerable too.
Look at the beautiful work on the jacket / dress. It seems to have been inspired by the wild.
Mixing detailed embroidery type work with structure in jackets that reference the Victorian era somewhat when it comes to say a sleeve or even a collar. All of it has a very regal appeal.
The height of his work was definitely the hologram created back in 2006 as a fitting and innovative finale to his Paris show titled “Widows of Culloden” and this was also on display and was truly captivating and breathtaking. A lot of his collections have dark and dual meaning names / inspirations largely inspired by nature.
There were far too many things that were on display such as the famous Armadillo boots but I got so lost in it all that I didn’t manage to capture it for posterity and also you weren’t technically allowed to snap this exhibit.
Although the exhibition is no longer on display. Should there be another one I more than highly recommend you to go and see it. Alexander McQueen himself admitted to being a romantic schizophrenic and he truly was a crazy, beautiful mind. I hope and pray 2016 is like this exhibit beautiful, creative and inspiring. Until next kritical thing. xoxo
