Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

by Andrew Bolton, Harold Koda, Sølve Sundsbø (Photographer)

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"The exhibition, organized by The Costume Institute, will celebrate the late Alexander McQueen's extraordinary contributions to fashion. From his postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final runway presentation which took place after his death in February 2010, Mr. McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion. show more Approximately one hundred examples will be on view, including signature designs such as the bumster trouser, the kimono jacket, and the Origami frock coat, as well as pieces reflecting the exaggerated silhouettes of the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, and 1950s that he crafted into contemporary silhouettes transmitting romantic narratives. Technical ingenuity imbued his designs with an innovative sensibility that kept him at fashion's vanguard." -- MMA website. show less

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4 reviews
Alexander McQueen is my favourite fashion designer, with competition from Gareth Pugh, Vivienne Westwood, and Thierry Mugler. I was lucky enough to see the Savage Beauty exhibition when it was at the V&A in London back in 2015. It's one of the best exhibitions I've ever been to and I found it absolutely beguiling. Goodreads reminded me of it by recommending the exhibition catalogue, perhaps the third good quality recommendation the algorithm has given me in nearly ten years. I was delighted to find that the library had a borrowable copy of this sumptuous hardback volume, with its eerie cover hologram. It must make a very spooky coffee table book, as the eyes follow you and manifest in the stylised skull before the rest of McQueen's show more face.

In addition to being a very striking object, the book records the Savage Beauty exhibition beautifully. A good preface briefly recounts Alexander McQueen's biography. At the end there is an interview with Sarah Burton, who took over the fashion house after McQueen's tragic death. I found both of these fascinating and informative. Together with images of the garments exhibited in Savage Beauty, I was powerfully reminded of why I love Alexander McQueen designs. He was an incredible tailor and his garments always have an exquisite and distinctive silhouette, usually with the waist emphasised. His influences mixed the gothic, romantic, historical, and environmental. Some of his quotes express the severe and unapproachable vibes that I want from clothing:

"When you see a woman wearing McQueen, there's a certain hardness to the clothes that makes her look powerful. It kind of fends people off."
"It's almost like putting armour on a woman. It's a very psychological way of dressing."


It's hard to find garments like that amid the high street's shapeless viscose and denim. McQueen's collections were art. As Burton says:

...he always called himself a designer, not an artist. He was a showman more than anything. Still, when you think about how he designed, it did feel more about art. It was never, "Oh, is this comfortable?" It was all about the vision and the head-to-toe look of it. When you saw the models lining up, it was so clear and so direct. Lee was a designer who was making a world and telling a story. Sometimes it was on such a level that maybe the fashion audience wasn't the right audience to tell it to, but what audience was right? That's the problem I think he had. The stigma: is it fashion? Is it art? But if it's not making money, you can't do these amazing shows. Lee did care about the commercial side of the industry, but what most people remember are the shows.


The Savage Beauty exhibition and catalogue are a wonderful tribute to McQueen. I also recommend [b:Alexander McQueen: Genius of a Generation|7981812|Alexander McQueen Genius of a Generation|Kristin Knox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347413042l/7981812._SX50_.jpg|12419887] to fans of his work.
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I picked this up after seeing the exhibit at the Met. The pictures are lovely, though there could have been more detail shots - McQueen's construction is incredible and you have to look closely at the pictures to see it. The pictures are full page, with the details of collection from which the piece came, year, materials, owner are in an appendix. It's a coffee table book, with not quite enough supplementary text to totally feel worth the cover price - there is a short bio, but I mostly got the sense the McQueen was a very private person, though incredibly driven. They do give references for all the magazine quotes, so I might try to track down a few of those articles.
I give the book 5 stars. It's as close to the exhibition as one can get without actually being at the Met. I agree that McQueen must have been a very private person; the book focuses on his art and what inspired him to create these amazing works. In my opinion, as an artist, it's worth every penny. McQueen's quotes alone are priceless, for they allow a glimpse into his brilliant mind.

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Picture of author.
19 Works 1,371 Members
4 Works 576 Members
Photographer
1 Work 501 Members

All Editions

Frankel, Susannah (Afterword)
McQueen, Alexander (Contributor)

Some Editions

Blanks, Tim (Contributor)

Awards and Honors

Common Knowledge

Canonical title
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
Original publication date
2011-05-31

Classifications

Genres
Art & Design, Nonfiction, Home & Garden, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
DDC/MDS
746.92092Arts & recreationDrawing & decorative artsFashion Design / Weaving, Knitting, EmbroideryOther textile productsBiography
LCC
TT505 .M37 .M37TechnologyHandicrafts. Arts and craftsHandicrafts. Arts and craftsClothing manufacture. Dressmaking. Tailoring
BISAC

Statistics

Members
501
Popularity
59,998
Reviews
3
Rating
½ (4.61)
Languages
English
Media
Paper
ISBNs
2
ASINs
4