There is no way I will leave this blog without a mention of the great Alexander McQueen. I was absolutely devastated when I heard the tragic news in February 2010 of his sudden passing and all I can truly say is what a waste. I was reminded of just how talented he was when I received a belated birthday present mailed straight to my front door. Ripping off the tape in excitement, wondering whatever was inside the cardboard box, I opened it to find a hologram of McQueen's face morphing into a tribal skull. I knew instantly that it was none other than the 'Savage Beauty' exhibition book, a tribute to his legacy.
The exhibition, organised by The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, features approximately 100 ensembles and 70 accessories curated from his finest collections. The book is written and collated by curator Andrew Bolton who intended to celebrate the late designer's phenomenal contributions to fashion from his prolific nineteen-year career. The ensembles and accessories have been mostly taken from the Alexander McQueen archive in London as well as the Givenchy Archive in Paris. I dreamt about seeing the exhibition knowing it would never come to Melbourne (never say never!) however the design of the book is so clear in its presentation and style that the photography and interviews genuinely portray his technical ingenuity which always imbued his designs with an innovative sensibility.
There is so much substance in the book, both in terms of photography and text and so I feel I still haven't really had a proper read yet. There are, however, a few quotes throughout the book which have really inspired me. Firstly, I think it's amazing to think that Alexander McQueen graduated from Central Saint Martins and then worked in a traditional tailoring label in London for a few years. When looking at collections such as his Spring/ Summer 2001 collection which challenged the notion of beauty with its conceptual forms, presentations and fabrications, it is very surprising to think that he came from a traditional grounding.
What I really found interesting, though, was this quote, " You've got to know the rules to break them. That's what I'm here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition."
That quote really encapsulates his design ethos and I believe his collections are so amazing because they balance his phenomenal sense of technique with his amazing eye for design, not to mention his groundbreaking concepts. I also feel that this ethos creates refinement in his collections which makes me think back to the weekly exercise where we had to slowly develop a jacket to refine and really think about the garment features and where they are placed.
Furthermore, he mentioned, "I spent a long time learning how to construct clothes, which is important to do before you can deconstruct them." This quote is quite important to me because I often jump to the conceptual ideas and can never really realise my designs or the visions I have. This is significantly important to our tailoring studio where there is such a focus on the artisanal techniques of a tailor. There are so many conceptual ideas I would love to execute but I must agree with Lee in that perfecting technique allows you to understand how to then break it. I'm keeping this in mind in the lead up to fourth year!
Another quote that actually made me laugh was, " [I design from the side] that way I get the worst angle of the body. You've got all the lumps and bumps and the S-bend of the back, the bum. That way I get a cut and proportion and silhouette that works all round the body." Karen would definitely agree on this one! I'm in such a habit of drawing side views that it is now my favourite angle to design. So remember to sketch up those side angles!
Overall I though the book was well written and rather raw in its writing - McQueen's life and career was truly told as it was. The quotes chosen are intelligent and I feel they pay tribute to his work and philosophies, which was the intention of the exhibition. The ensembles and accessories have been photographed very well, with models painted to look like mannequins. I feel this style really allows the viewer to focus on the garment and the techniques, silhouette and artisanal qualities rather than a styled model glamourising the garments. It really tells me that his work can speak for itself alone which I feel is a good test to evaluate my own work.
I will leave you with this powerful quote, "I want to be the purveyor of a certain silhouette or a way of cutting, so that when I'm dead and gone people will know that the twenty-first century was started by Alexander McQueen." (body chills!)
