I visited the long-awaited Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A on Sunday, having luckily booked in advance for a late afternoon slot. The exhibition has sold very well, and in fact weekends have been sold out for a while, so I considered myself lucky to be able to get in.
Despite the popularity of the exhibition, I was impressed with how well it had been organised. I only had to queue for a couple of minutes, getting into the exhibition at the appointed time. The space was not too crowded: sometimes there is a tendency to cram as many people as possible into a space, even when an exhibition has limited entry, but that wasn’t the case here.
The exhibition was well set-up with strong design and themed rooms, reflecting the aesthetic of the clothes, which were displayed thematically and showcased to great effect. For instance, there was a darker mirrored room showing off the Gothic-influenced clothing, and a wood-panelled eighteenth century drawing room to display the Scottish-influenced garments.
I thought the exhibition provided a strong overview of McQueen’s work, with items from his significant collections including Widows of Culloden and Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims, as well as his final fully-formed collection before his untimely death, Plato’s Atlantis. It explored how he used a variety of influences, including flowers, animals, other cultures and history, and emphasised the importance of tailoring in his garments. Looking at items such as the “bumster” trousers, the tailored suits and the dresses incorporating lace or tartan it’s possible to appreciate the thought and craftsmanship that went into each piece, even it’s something you wouldn’t necessarily wear yourself. Over time I’ve come to look at high fashion more as a form of art than as a representation of clothes you’d actually go out in, and this has led me to appreciate it much more. Alexander McQueen’s work is a particularly strong example of fashion-as-art as the designer used his clothes and catwalk shows to make political and cultural statements.
If you can still get a ticket, this is one exhibition which is a must see if you appreciate good design, whether or not you are into fashion.