It may be a while off, but major institutions are wasting no time in honoring the late fashion designer, Alexander McQueen, and his extraordinary and influential contributions to fashion as art. In May 2011, an exhibition organized by The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.
"Alexander McQueen's iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion," said Thomas P. Campbell, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "This landmark exhibition continues the Museum's tradition of celebrating designers who changed the course of history and culture by creating new possibilities."
Savage Beauty will have over "100 examples of Mr. McQueen's work from his prolific 19- year career. Drawn primarily from the Alexander McQueen Archive in London, with some pieces from the Givenchy Archive in Paris as well as private collections, signature designs including the bumster trouser, the kimono jacket, and the Origami frock coat will be on view. McQueen's fashions often referenced the exaggerated silhouettes of the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, and 1950s, but his technical ingenuity always imbued his designs with an innovative sensibility that kept him at the vanguard."
It seems unprecedented, and it may well be, that a designer at such a young age, and in this case, who left us so young, was honored so highly as a progressive designer, and taking the notion of art and fashion to a new level.
More news to come as the retrospective gets closer.
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
May 4 – July 31, 2011
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Cantor Galleries
New York, New York
First seen on Juxtapoz.