At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show – Savage Beauty…
“I want to empower women. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.” Alexander McQueen
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... the end then back to beginnings
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... yes, the lines took almost 2 hours
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... very long but fairly fast moving lines
The final days of the Alexander McQueen exhibit are here … and the show is HOT! I had planned to go when it started back in May (started May 4 – July 31) at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I vacillated, procrastinated, and finally succumbed to the call to go see the remarkable collection of the brilliant designer known fondly, to his friends, as Lee. The Met extended the show by a week and the final 4 days, starting today, will run till 9:00pm. Actually, Saturday and Sunday will run till midnight.
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... making our way there
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... the entrance
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty Video
I had avoided seeing the retrospective because I was still deeply saddened by his death in 2010, by suicide; it was still fresh in my mind and I wanted to remember him as the super talented fashion icon and designer extraordinaire who lived a vibrant and intensely creative life. Finally, I couldn’t resist and I am grateful that I didn’t miss this show… The lines were long but worth every minute spent waiting to pay homage to this truly remarkable soul. I encourage you to attend the show if you can… You won’t regret it.
The collection is shown in galleries; The Romantic Mind, Romantic Gothic, Cabinet of Curiosities, Romantic Nationalism, Highland Rape, Romantic Exoticism, Romantic Primitivism, Romantic Naturalism and the last Atlantis collection he designed. Each segment represents a philosophical idea/period and his design vision and concepts. The video above elaborates with more details. While many are familiar with his extravagant, avant garde runway shows, McQueen was a master tailor whose actual collections, sold in his boutiques and high end stores world wide, were quite accessible.
If you ever owned or tried on a McQueen jacket, dress, blouse or skirt, you’d understand… The tailoring, the fit, the fabrics were impeccable. Yet, he never missed an opportunity to put on a show… McQueen’s fashion shows were the ultimate experience.
“You’ve got to know the rules to break them. that’s what I’m here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition…” Alexander McQueen (The Romantic Mind)
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... it's a jungle out there
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic mind
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty...
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... the romantic mind
“People find my things sometimes aggressive. I see it as romantic reeling with a dark side of personality.” Alexander McQueen (Romantic Gothic)
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Romantic Gothic
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic gothic
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic gothic
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic gothic
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic gothic
“I especially like the accessory for its sadomasochistic aspect.” Alexander McQueen (Cabinet of Curiosities)
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Cabinet of Curiosities
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Cabinet of Curiosities
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Cabinet of Curiosities
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Cabinet of Curiosities
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Cabinet of Curiosities
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Cabinet of Curiosities
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Cabinet of Curiosities
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Cabinet of Curiosities
“The reason I’m patriotic is because I think it’s been dealt a really hard hand. It’s marketed the world over … as haggis … bagpipes. but no one ever puts anything back into it.” Alexander McQueen (Romantic Nationalism)
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Romantic Nationalism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Romantic Nationalism
“There is no way back for me now. I am going to take you on journeys you’ve never dreamed were possible.” Alexander McQueen (Highland Rape)
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Highland Rape
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Highland Rape
“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 (Romantic Exoticism)
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... holograph of Kate Moss
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Romantic Exoticism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic exoticism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic exoticism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic exoticism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic exoticism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic exoticism
“I try to push the silhouette. To change the silhouette is to change the thinking of how we look. What I do is look at ancient African tribes, and the way they dress. The rituals of how they dress … there’s a lot of tribalism in the collection. Alexander McQueen (Romantic Primitivism)
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic primitivism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic primitivism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic primitivism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic primitivism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic primitivism (oyster dress)
I have always loved the mechanics of nature and to a greater or lesser extent my work is always informed by that. ” Alexander McQueen (Romantic Naturalism)
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic naturalism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic naturalism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic naturalism
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... romantic naturalism
To give you an inkling on the magnificence of the collection I saw today, I will start with this; after an almost 2 hour wait, I walked through the collection for the first walk-through, then turned around and walked through the collection 4 more times. It was hypnotic, captivating, precise, complex, intricate, intoxicating, mesmerizing and then heart-crushingly brilliant. I don’t want to say this but… I must admit that at my last walk-through; reading, looking closely, studying the intricate ways Alexander McQueen used fabric and materials to create the most amazing avant-garde, sadomasochistic, romantic, ethereal collections … I wept.
The End
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Atlantis at the end
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Atlantis at the end
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... finale before exiting
At The Met: The Incomparable Alexander McQueen Show - Savage Beauty... Beginning to end. The Met. It started here
I wept at the loss of an incredible design genius, a precision machine and a visionary. I doubt we would see another like him in my lifetime. Hurry on over to The Met before this phenomenal show leaves town… My post only scratches the surface of the incredible experience you stand to have at this homage to Alexander McQueen. Watch the video above for explanations on the different romantic notions he held, and then go see this show; it’s a once in a lifetime event! Thank you! What are your thoughts? Did you catch the show? What was it like for you? and what was your favorite piece? Do share! Thank you. 😉
Positive Motivation Tip: The best life we can live is one that maximizes every skill, every talent, every breath we have and gives it back to the world without reservation… Live it.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos from my Personal Collection and copyright reserved. Usage only with permission and attribution.
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Trackbacks
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I would have loved to see this…I wonder if it will make its way to LA?
I don’t know if it will, but they have had a very successful run in NYC, and it might encourage them to showcase the collection in other major cities around the world. TY! 🙂
He was an amazing talent.
Although I can’t say I liked the shoes much when I first saw them some time ago!
If it comes to Melbourne, I’ll definitely be going. Hopefully our queue won’t be quite so long!
He was an amazing talent… and some. I’d see the collection again if it were here a little longer. I suspect that given the success of this show, others might be on the horizon.
sometimes a little bit disturbing 🙂
What is disturbing? The sadomasochistic appeal? It’s part of his creative expression…Remember he was a Saville Row trained designer so his clothes were impeccably made… dramatic effect aside. 🙂
From the ridiculous to the sublime there will never be another like him. Thanks for sharing this!
b
So true Barb… and I knew you’d get the essence of this talented, artistic soul. 🙂
Thanks for taking us to the Met with you! There is no other way I would have seen this, isn’t wordpress wonderful in that way? Fabulous photos. Absolutely loved this post!
Yes, WP is a dream and I’ve visited places I couldn’t visit otherwise… I’m glad you liked it. It wasn’t easy capturing these photos. 🙂
Wonderful expose’! Thanks for sharing the exhibit through your eyes!
Thank you for coming along on the ride… It was exhilarating for me. 🙂
You might enjoy this post about the Alexander McQueen exhibit:
jameskillough.wordpress.com/2011/05/29
His designs do nothing for me ~ unwearable art rather than living fashion.
Actually Nancy, what you describe are the runway museum pieces which were meant to show his artistic skill and mastery of his craft. However, McQueen’s collections, sold in his boutiques and high-end stores, were definitely wearable pieces and women around the world bought and wore them.
Wow! Wow! The clothes are Amazing, the spaces in that video are mind blowing. Thanks so much for sharing this!!!
I loved the video too… especially as it delves into material that we would have no way of capturing… Truly a spectacular show.
The photos are amazing. I feel like I was there! I was going to go on Wednesday, but the wait would have killed me so I spent some time at the MoMA instead
Oh girl, we should have connected and made the trip an easier one. It moved pretty quickly and there were people to chat with and other collections to peek at along the way… It was quite painless and I’m glad I made it. 🙂
Amazing, Elizabeth!
Unfortunately, I’ve waited too long. Saw the lines yesterday and I couldn’t commit with all the packing I still have to do. Thanks for the review.
Oh… I was hoping you made it especially as you recently made a museum visit uptown. Honestly, it didn’t feel like 2 hours… I promise. TY! I hope your packing is going well… 🙂
I was thinking about going tonight – museum’s open late but I was too tired. Friends visiting, leaving tomorrow.
Packing’s going slowly. I’m editing a manuscript and trying to keep up with the posts in between.
WOW! I’ve never been to a fashion show or anything like this…looks really cool! Some definitely crazy, out there styles but that’s what art IS, right? It’s self expression and beauty in the less obvious…
Some of those shoes remind me of shoes Lady Gaga wears…but I think I had heard somewhere that she HAS worn some of his stuff.
Terrific stuff and I’d wear them if I could afford them… I’m all for the zany and I love his work. Yes, Lady Gaga wore his clothes and the armadillo shoes. TY! 🙂
What a gifted artist. I can’t make the show so I thank you for this tribute.
I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures which gave a relatively small glimpse of a truly spectacular homage and collection. TY! 🙂
……….The Alexander McQueen exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will close soon which is just fine with me — Ive seen it four times and I’m now officially wrung out by it. Whatever else he was McQueen was a ferociously inventive creator — a genius really and an old-fashioned one throwing everything into his design business instead of focusing on marketing and licensing as the fashion playbook now dictates. And Andrew Bolton who curated it is the master intelligence behind a book Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty. It showcases just about everything that’s in the show and a lot more.