It’s no secret that I love a fashion exhibition; alongside books they really enrich my appreciation and understanding of a particular designer or era. The V&A can always be relied upon for a well curated exhibition though the Jean-Paul Gaultier retrospective at the Barbican was incredible and the retrospective on Madeleine Vionnet at Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris was brilliant.
This year has been all about Savage Beauty’s homecoming to the V&A. Originally shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2011, the exhibition celebrating the life, work and legacy of Alexander McQueen has been the most hotly anticipated fashion exhibition launch ever. Tickets went on sale a year prior to the opening and I was lucky enough to score a pair of tickets for the opening weekend in March.
As much as I love fashion exhibits and heard rave reviews about Savage Beauty, nothing prepared me. Within minutes of entering the first room, I was overcome by emotion. Meticulously curated, each detail of the exhibition was painstakingly thought through, from the huge black and white print of McQueen’s face as you walked in to each room’s theming and presentation to the haunting music played throughout. I felt like the exhibition touched on every sense and I was filled with a heavy feeling of loss as well as being drawn into McQueen’s dark work and appreciating the genius of his vision.
I felt so grateful that I was able to attend and reflect upon one of the greatest designers of our generation; my only regret is that I only bought tickets for one day! Thankfully, as the exhibition draws to a close, the V&A have announced that they will be opening the exhibition around the clock for the final two weekends – Friday 24th – Sunday 26th July and Friday 31st July – Sunday 2nd August. If you do one thing in the next month, get tickets and prepare yourself for one of the best exhibitions you will ever experience.
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