It has been one of the most talked about Exhibitions of recent years since it’s launch at the Met in New York so when Savage Beauty, the Alexander McQueen retrospective came to the V&A Museum in London we had to go and see it for ourselves.
As you walk in you are confronted with a video projection of the man himself, his face slowly evolving into one of his iconic skull motifs. A man who created some of the most incredible fashion designs of all time, with such razor sharp skill and vision, hung himself in his wardrobe in 2010, leaving behind a legacy of some of the finest couture and fashion design ever created.
With a name like Savage Beauty and a designer that tended to shock or push the envelope of fashion with his big budget shows, this production was no less magnificent but not in our opinion, savage. The overall impression was one of awe. In his career he made a huge portfolio of work, forever progressing, one can only imagine the pressure of having to keep up with that. His style is refined, elegant and cut impeccably well. Whether you are a fashion geek, avid admirer or have a passing interest, the skill contained in this exhibit is undeniable.
Highlights included the room of curiosities (pic above) which showed every single one of his shows simultaneously dotted amongst the pieces from the catwalk. There is also a hologram projection from the opening of one of his shows, an ethereal spinning woman swathed in billowing fabric, well worth watching until the end.
We would highly recommend this exhibition, not because of the hype or because everyone else has but because it is rare to see such a collection of fashion, displayed in such a lavish and enticing way. Whether you love or loathe Alexander McQueen, we dare you not to find at least one piece that you love. We’re going again and probably again after that before it closes in August.
Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty – The Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington Tube, London until 2nd August.