Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

The exhibition Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the Met (May 4, 2011- August 7, 2011) served to represent the extraordinary skill, innovation, and the provocative yet romantic spirit of late fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Some of the highlights and buzzed-about items included his ultra-structured Jack the Ripper Stalks his Victims collection, the fetishistic accessories of the exhibit's Cabinet of Curiosities section, and a 3-D hologram projection of Kate Moss delicately twirling about in The Oyster Dress-a multi-layered organza-and-tulle creation that is at once delicate and ragged. While Gothic, Romantic, and Victorian-era influences were present, curator Andrew Bolton took care to emphasize political consciousness in McQueen's work-for example, his Highland Rape collection, a provocative tongue-in-cheek series critiquing British imperialism. This made for an odd and problematic juxtaposition to the exhibit's "Romantic Primitivism" section, featuring McQueen's Asian and African-inspired designs underscored by Bolton's numerous references to racist concepts like "exoticism", and the "noble savage". Whether or not this clash in ideology is a testament to the exhibit's power in provoking critical thought or if it's simply a reflection of the fashion industry's stake in maintaining the status quo is a matter for debate.