After a leisurely breakfast, the Nuest'as plus Caroline, hailed a taxi to the Victoria and Albert Museum to experience the Alexander McQueen retrospective: Savage Beauty. It is an exhibition of epic proportions chronicling the output of the immensely talented London-born fashion designer and couturier. |
I remain in awe of his imagination, his skill and output, and the amazing artisans he worked with to realize his visions. Bravo!
I love knowing the path others take in their life's journey. . . because more often than not it is not a straight one, but rather turns here and there with maybe even a detour or two. But, at the end of the day — it's perfect.
McQueen's family was descended from French Huguenot immigrants who settled in the Spitalfields section of London as skilled silk weavers. Growing up in the East End, he was the youngest of six children, and left school at 15 years old to become a tailor's apprentice on Savile Row. From 1984 to 1988, he learned to cut jackets at Anderson and Sheppard and gained expertise in cutting trousers at Gieves & Hawkes — stepping stones. For a short time thereafter, he learned to create coats and waistcoats from the theatrical costumiers Berman's and Nathan's. All of this training gave him an understanding and the technical ability to create tailored garments that would be hallmarks in his later career, as it was often through tailoring techniques that McQueen was abled to shift bodily proportions resulting in exceptional designs.
After earning his MA in Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins, McQueen produced a series of low budget, yet provocative shows set in gritty industrial locations.
McQueen's family was descended from French Huguenot immigrants who settled in the Spitalfields section of London as skilled silk weavers. Growing up in the East End, he was the youngest of six children, and left school at 15 years old to become a tailor's apprentice on Savile Row. From 1984 to 1988, he learned to cut jackets at Anderson and Sheppard and gained expertise in cutting trousers at Gieves & Hawkes — stepping stones. For a short time thereafter, he learned to create coats and waistcoats from the theatrical costumiers Berman's and Nathan's. All of this training gave him an understanding and the technical ability to create tailored garments that would be hallmarks in his later career, as it was often through tailoring techniques that McQueen was abled to shift bodily proportions resulting in exceptional designs.
After earning his MA in Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins, McQueen produced a series of low budget, yet provocative shows set in gritty industrial locations.
Although London was often central to his creative imagination, he drew inspiration from a wide geographic area and frequently referenced cultures from around the world including North America, Africa and the Far East. His couture fashion often related to contemporary art and historical art themes as well — salvation, persecution and religious pathos in particular. These inspirations came principally from painters of the 15th century Northern Europe including one of my favorites — Hieronymus Bosch. His fascination with the four elements — fire, earth, wind and water — also made symbolic appearances in his fashion as did Memento Mori, images and symbols that are intended to both memorizable the deceased and remind one of death. McQueen said: "It is important to look at death because it is a part of life. It is a sad thing, melancholy but romantic at the same time. It is the end of a cycle — everything has to end. The cycle of life is positive because it gives room for new things.' |
In his designs, McQueen often contrasted fashion's glamour with darkness and death. He employed the skull as a decorative device and used the varied detritus of animal parts (skeletons, horns and taxidermy) as embellishment. Rick would have loved his work as they held similar sensibilities about sophistication and decay.
From 1996 to 2001 he was the chief designer at Givenchy. In his lifetime he earned 4 British Designer of the Year awards as well as the Council of Fashion Designers' International Designer of the Year award (2003).
Tragically, McQueen it seems took his own life in 2010, nine days after his mother died from cancer.
From 1996 to 2001 he was the chief designer at Givenchy. In his lifetime he earned 4 British Designer of the Year awards as well as the Council of Fashion Designers' International Designer of the Year award (2003).
Tragically, McQueen it seems took his own life in 2010, nine days after his mother died from cancer.
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Throughout the exhibition I fell in love with the work of jeweler Shaun Leane, who collaborated with Alexander McQueen for more than a decade to produce amazing decorative accessories. As a result, I purchased a pair of silver and black pearl earrings from his Blackthorn collection.