The Victoria and Albert Museum presents: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty

Monday 21 September 2015

The Alexander McQueen Exhibition ended on 2nd August 2015, so it feels like I'm a bit late to the party talking about this! But it was probably the best exhibition I've ever been to. 

My friend booked us tickets in advance for the 26th July 2015 to go, as we realised that tickets were seriously selling like hot cakes! We wanted to go on a saturday but worried that we won't be guaranteed a ticket to see it. This exhibition celebrates the best of Alexander McQueen's work.

I was so surprised on how much more there was to see. When we entered the A Gothic Mind and the Romanticism Primitivism rooms, I assumed 'oh well this is all we're getting at this exhibition.' How wrong was I? There were so many rooms and I kept saying 'oh there's more!' I was getting excited. I don't have any words to describe how MAGNIFICENT this exhibition really was. I wanted to take photos of everything but usually V&A exhibitions are prohibited and get this, you're not allowed to even sketch. In the large dark room, it was the only opportunity where I could take some photos on my phone (quality wasn't good).

MY HIGHLIGHTS


This is the Romanticism Primitivism room, I call this the skull and bones room because the walls were entirely made of skull and bones! It was pretty cool and it kind of felt like I was entering a scene from Game of Thrones. As we entered, I could get a sense of the dark atmosphere of being under water and especially the music - it set the mood and tone of this collection perfectly well, but a little scary more so. 



This was called the Gothic Mind room. The captivating gothic-esque designs evoked darkness and mystery, especially with the bondage face pieces (I wonder how anyone can breath under it?!) McQueen drew inspiration from historic references such as Victorian Gothic and it's clear that there were elements of horror and romanticism combined in his designs, but also something that tells a very intriguing story behind it. 

(Photo source: Made In Shoreditch)
The Cabinet of Curiosities was literally the only room where I was able to take some photos on my phone (quality wasn't great). Again, I assumed this was the last room but it wasn't! It was very crowded, so we had to walk in circular motion in order to see everything. This included garments, shoes and fantastic headpieces. 
'I find beauty in the grotesque, like most artists. I have to force people to look at things.'
(Photo source: The Cool Collections)
This is probably one of my favourites! According to the V&A, its called the Romantic Naturalism. The title is so fitting to the designs. It's about using raw materials from nature as a form of inspiration to represent works of art. The flowers dress was my favourite piece in this room because I've seen it in magazines and it looks really amazing. I like the idea of using rotting flowers; I think it represents life and death. 

'Things rot. I used flowers because they die. My mood was darkly romantic at the time.'

The last room to see was certainly one of the best! It pushes the boundaries of fashion. It was McQueen last collection and one of the most talked about. 

'Plato's Atlantis predicted a future in which the ice cap would melt, the waters would rise and life on earth would have to evolve in order to live beneath the sea once more or perish. Humanity would go back to the place from whence it came.'

This is such a fascinating concept. Though, I didn't realise when I first heard of it back in 2010. I felt like it was more than just fashion, it concentrates on the future and technology. This idea represents humankind on its brink to devolution. The digitally engineered were absolutely beautiful and complex; the construction of the designs looked aesthetically 3-D. The shoes! Just wow. Props to the models who were able to walk in them. This is said to be McQueen 'greatest achievement.'

(Photo source: The V&A)The last room to see was certainly one of the best! It pushes the boundaries of fashion. It was McQueen last collection and one of the most talked about. 'Plato's Atlantis predicted a future in which the ice cap would melt, the waters would rise and life on earth would have to evolve in order to live beneath the sea once more or perish. Humanity would go back to the place from whence it came.'This is such a fascinating concept. Though, I didn't realise when I first heard of it back in 2010. I felt like it was more than just fashion, it concentrates on the future and technology. This idea represents humankind on its brink to devolution. The digitally engineered were absolutely beautiful and complex; the construction of the designs looked aesthetically 3-D. The shoes! Just wow. Props to the models who were able to walk in them. This is said to be McQueen 'greatest achievement.'Did you see the McQueen Exhibition?

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