Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Met: Alexander McQueen

If you are anywhere near the NYC vicinity or find yourself there, do yourself a favor and visit the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit at the Met.  I expected a few rooms of his designs hung on mannequins to be the extent of the exhibit, which I would have been happy to see but was met with an entirely different experience.
Image via Travelmoon
Each installation in the many rooms that comprised the exhibit provided a unique cacophony of sights and sounds.  Revealing that not only were his display of his designs deeply thought out but so were the surrounding feel of the rooms, music, visuals, and mood.  


The first room was stark, with mannequins on wood floors showing his early designs.  Placards told of human hair hidden within the designs, this gave way to even more unique and artistic creations as you weaved your way through the exhibit.


Despite your familiarity with Alexander McQueen (vast or non-existent), it is instantly clear that his designs were not mere pieces of fashion but thought provoking, at times disturbing, always making a statement about something much deeper than what initially meets the eye.  So many pieces were so off the wall, that it was hard to imagine that one could even espouse the immense vision and go to such a dark place to dream them up.


Many of the pieces were inspired by periods of history and rooted in Scottish and English tradition.  



While in others, inspiration were found in far flung places spanning the globe.

Whether it was a dress flowing from some unseen blast of air, a 3-D hologram of Kate Moss twirling in one of Alexander McQueen's creations, or the re-creation of one of his fashion shows that included the use of a two way mirror to reveal a shocking image, each room evoked a visceral sensation of other worldliness.

Images via The Met Museum
At times sinister, macabre, inspiring, and utterly beautiful, this truly is a sight one must behold in person if only to grasp a tiny granule of the intense artistic visionary that was Alexander McQueen.

17 comments:

  1. Thank you for these pictures. I would love to visit this exibition. Should be very exiting!

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  2. Oh wow. Thank you for the sneak peek. I'm going to try to go next week! This looks amazing.

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  3. I was in NY for less than 2 days and that exhibit was one I soooo wanted to go to- it looked exquisite- thanks so much for sharing a glimpse of all that beauty!

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  4. So wish I could be there to see it! The mannequins and the trademark McQueen platforms in the last picture are truly bizarre!

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  5. Oh goodness how incredibly cool. What a great way to showcase his talents.
    alexa
    www.theshortandthesweetofit.com

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  6. How awesome. I love that in the pic of his early designs, you can see the essence of what his later work turned into. He didn't loose himself in his design, it became a greater part of him...the work of a true master! Hope to see it when I am there this summer!
    XO

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  7. Would love to see this in person! I enjoyed reading about your experience.

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  8. Thank you for sharing this...he was brilliant designer and interesting man, and so deserving of this honorable recognition! xoxo

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  9. Ooooh, I really want to visit someday :)
    xx Marie

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  10. After your great review I feel even more sorry that I can't go to NYC to see it. I'm sure it's a unique experience :)

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  11. I loved the exhibit too!!

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  12. I haven't been but your tour was fantastic here! Thanks for sharing, great review.

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  13. I really love your write up! And from this preview, I think the exhibit was very thought provoking and fascinating, too. Thanks for sharing, Kate! It bet it was a fantastic experience!

    Jessie
    www.mixandchic.com

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  14. The exhibit looks like a lot of fun! Thanks for the peep :)

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  15. This exhibit DOES look really cool. So sad I can't see it!

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  16. Oohh that's so cool that you saw the exhibit. The pictures are great, now I get to see more of the exhibit as well! Yay!

    Also, I gifted you a little award on my blog hehe!

    Bye ;)

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  17. Ah! I would have loved, loved, loved to see this exhibit! I hope it travels to either London or Paris.

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