Wow, wow, and more wow! I FINALLY made it to the blockbuster exhibition, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. If your summer travel plans include New York City, you must add this to your itinerary - the MET will be displaying McQueen's breathtaking, jaw-dropping, technically perfect, and emotionally-charged couture through August 7, 2011.
Savage Beauty brilliantly displays McQueen's genius not just for creating avant-garde clothes but his amazing talent for building a narrative with fashion - his Scottish heritage, the Victorian Gothic, and even Jack the Ripper influenced his designs. The fashion world truly lost a genius when McQueen committed suicide in 2010 but his relevance has not diminished. After all, Catherine Middleton opted to wear a "Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen" wedding gown on her walk down the aisle to Prince William. As lovely as Middleton's dress was, and the form-fitting frock worn by her sister Pippa, I can't help but imagine what a wedding gown truly designed by McQueen himself would look like. Maybe some strategically placed feathers?
A few tips for visiting Savage Beauty: arrive at the MET really early (the museum opens at 9:30 AM) and save time by ordering your tickets online - this exhibition draws huge crowds. The suggested admission for adults is $20 and includes access to Savage Beauty, all museum galleries, and a same-day visit to The Cloisters Museum and Gardens. The audio guide is absolutely worth the extra $7 - it gives great background information and features interviews with McQueen collaborators/admirers such as Sarah Jessica Parker and famed milliner Philip Treacy. Another option - pony up $50 for MET Mondays with McQueen and you can visit the exhibition on Monday, when the MET is normally closed (audio guide included, other galleries are closed).
I plan on visiting Savage Beauty again - it was truly exceptional!
Gallery photography by The Photograph Studio, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
