Savage Beauty; Alexander Mc Queen

 Savage Beauty was an retrospective exhibition of the work of fashion designer Alexander Mc Queen.

First  shown at the metropolitan in New York in 2011, a year after his death and then went on to show at the V&A in 2015.

I've always been familiar with his name but not his work, during our joint lectures with fashion students I became aware of this exhibition, and in regards to my costume research this is really inspiring as it has lots of folkish and Victorian elements, styles I'm trying to  employ in my mask and costumes.

Holland Cotter of The New York Times wrote that the show "is a button-pushing marvel: ethereal and gross, graceful and utterly manipulative, and poised on a line where fashion turns into something else", but also noted that the exhibit steers clear of addressing questions about the contradictions in his work (taken from Wikipedia)

I investigated further and watched a few documentaries on you tube one by the V&A museum and one by the MET.

The show was divided into different sections, the galleries that interest me most are the romantic gothic, dramatic costume in the Victorian gothic, Andrew Bolton, the curator of the exhibition says" McQueen used fashion as a vehicle for his art and subverted the crafts of his trade."

black feathers, birdlike shape crow, raven,witch woman. very dramatic costume, human/ animal. gothic villain architype

Claire Wilcox the curator at the V&A said the show was pure drama and spectacle inspired by film and performance art and gothic Victoriana. The romantic Gothic gallery of the exhibition these works were inspired by characters and archetypes from Victorian literatures.  its clear That McQueen was very inspired by history, nature, the gothic and grotesque but within a romantic, dramatic and theatrical setting.

Love the antlers. Bridal type dress woth antlers for a crown/ veil. Maiden archetype

The presentation is effective, fashion but displayed in a museum style.I think they look caged.

Glamour, bird like. Red is a warning colour in nature. Face is masked with gold. Chandelier type horns, devil, animal, human Glamour and beauty 

Organic pattern, rough materials, mask of hessian. Very folk costume but more elegant and feminine.

The use of feathers. Masked face. Disguise, human and animal.

I also like the cabinet of curiosity gallery, just the idea of it as a collection of strange costumes again inspired by the Victorian of collection from the natural world and the then the costume in the romantic naturalism, especially the dress with the antlers and head dress, its very folk pagan,. The e are also lots of mask or complete coverage of the models faces, again working more in the medium of costume and disguise. beyond fashion, lots of worlds colliding  .

showing a wide range of influence, amazing craft skills turning fashion into art. 

so much of this inspires me, his use of natural and unusual materials, the narrative  story telling aspect of his work, and the magical, ritualistic, gothic costumes. the deep colours in contrast.

Rough notes from my sketch book: