“I never look at other people’s work. My mind has to be completely focused on my own illusions.” Alexander McQueen
If there’s one exhibition to put on your must-see list for 2015, it’s Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. From the 14 March to the 19 July, the museum will be home to the first and largest retrospective of McQueen’s work presented in Europe. I can’t wait to attend.
The infographic above, created by fashion website farfetch.com displays the creative breath of the designer’s work and how he continues to influence fashion today. The retrospective will show his Central Saint Martins postgraduate collection of 1992, to his unfinished A/W 2010 collection. One of the things that I’m most looking forward to about the exhibition will be to see a wide range of his designs presented with dramatic staging and spectacle. It’s what people most associate with his runway shows. His work always evoked debate and a reaction. McQueen showcased beautiful collections with a strong underlying concept and message. It was as if he had his finger on an invisible social pulse, echoing the mood of the time that he showed his collections.
He pushed boundaries, made people feel uncomfortable and challenged convention, while creating things of beauty. McQueen didn’t shy away from darkness; in fact this was a key element of what drove him as a designer. He saw beauty in things that others found ugly or disturbing. It is truly sad that McQueen’s fashion genius and creativity is no longer with us, but often those who have the biggest impact, pass away before their time. These people bring an intense energy to move people and communicate their way of looking at the world. They don’t need decades to prove their talent, their light shines very brightly.
Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue sums up McQueen’s contribution to fashion perfectly, “He brought a uniquely British sense of daring and aesthetic fearlessness to the global stage of fashion. In such a short career, Alexander McQueen’s influence was astonishing – from street style, to music culture and the world’s museums. His passing marks an insurmountable loss.”
I think it’s going to be a very special exhibition.