McQueen

A few months ago we went to the Met to see an exhibit that affected me in a really unexpected way. I have always loved fashion, but I never considered myself a fashionista. I didn’t know labels, I didn’t know designers, I didn’t even know such a thing as Fashion Week existed. But leave it to good ol’ New York to make a changed woman of me. The Met was putting on a much anticipated exhibition honoring the late Alexander McQueen and the fabulousness that he was. All I knew was that he was a designer and that he had a reputation for being bold, unexpected, and very eccentric. Sold. What I didn’t expect was to have my mind completely blown. From the silhouettes to the draping, the fabric choices (or lack thereof) to the overall design, I was smitten. The exhibit spanned countless rooms (seriously I couldn’t keep track of how many because I was gasping for air from the visual blows to my mind) and each room brought new ideas, new shapes, new boundaries being pushed. The collection celebrated his 19 year contribution to fashion, and included many personal quotes and explanations for his artistic vision. Inspiration came from everywhere: political conflicts, the wildness of nature, Tim Burton, African tribes, Jack the Ripper…yet everything was brilliantly cohesive and absolutely romantic. Unfortunately this extensive exhibit is now over, but you can buy the catalog to see each piece and get inside the mind of this genius of a man.

(Widows of Culloden, Sarabande, Jellyfish, The Horn of Plenty, Oyster)
Seriously…click those links. Then browse around until your heart explodes. You will thank me later.

Needless to say, I am eternally a fan. I bought the catalog book and it will have a permanent home on my coffee table. And even with the passing of this exceptional designer, I will still look forward to everything that the House of McQueen puts out. I just saw a glimpse at a few photos of the SS 2012 line and once again I am just in awe of the vision, the construction, the details.

I love the way it is still quintessentially McQueen, even since Sarah Burton took over as creative director in 2010. The delicate feminism and structural masculinity still shine through, and I’m excited to see everything she does with the legacy left to her.

(SS12 images via Style.com)