Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty Exhibit at The Met

"I think there is beauty in everything. What ‘normal’ people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it."

— Alexander McQueen

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met). My girlfriend surprised me with tickets (she's the best!) since I'm kind of a museum junkie and I've been talking about my desire to attend this exhibit for a while. We went on a Sunday and it was extremely crowded. We ended up waiting for an hour just to get in on a HUGE line, but it was definitely worth it. 

We passed this on the line.

It was probably one of the most of the exciting and intriguing exhibits I've ever attended. My girlfriend described it as "creepy". I would describe it as "haunting, enticing and inspiring." Alexander McQueen is known for his high energy fashion shows and his way of taking fashion beyond the point of imagination. 

There are six main areas in total to view. The first area is titled "The Romantic Mind" and is fully made of concrete. It was surrounded by his most famous quotes and famous outfits such as Coat, Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims and his "Bumster Skirt: Highland Rape." For McQueen, the most exciting part of anybody's body was the bottom of the spine. These "bumsters" were all about showcasing that part of the body.

The second area is titled "Romantic Gothic and Cabinet of Curiosities." This was probably one of the darkest rooms of the entire exhibit. As soon as you enter, eerie music plays and a display of McQueen's famous Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious literally blew you away.

Another outfit I found extremely interesting was Dress, No. 13. The creation of this dress was probably one of the most memorable moment of any of his runway shows. Two robots spray-painted a dress worn by the gorgeous Shalom Harlow.

The third area is titled "Romantic Nationalism." This room display Alexander McQueen's love of Scottish heritage with favorites like Dress, Widows of Culloden.

“The reason I’m patriotic about Scotland is because I think it’s been dealt a really hard hand. It’s marketed the world over as . . . haggis . . . bagpipes. But no one ever puts anything back into it.”

The fourth area is titled "Romantic Exoticism." This was one of my favorite rooms because it focused on themes and traditions. He loved the idea of exotic and historicism. This area featured  Ensemble, It's Only a Game and many others.

“I want to be honest about the world that we live in, and sometimes my political persuasions come through in my work. Fashion can be really racist, looking at the clothes of other cultures as costumes. . . . That’s mundane and it’s old hat. Let’s break down some barriers.”

The fifth area is titled "Romantic Primitivism." This room had a feeling of natural and animalistic. It featured his famous latex dress with locusts, his statement on famine, and even pieces that were coated in mud. A few looks featured were Coat, Eshu and Bodysuit, It's a Jungle Out There.

The sixth and final area was titled "Romantic Naturalism." Nature was one of McQueen's most influencing ideas within his work. He loved using raw materials from the natural world for his fashion pieces. This final area, for me, reflected upon the future of fashion and how powerful it can be. His final collection before he passed, Plato's Atlantis, was probably his most famous. Here's how McQueen described his collection -

“[This collection predicted a future in which] the ice cap would melt . . . the waters would rise and . . . life on earth would have to evolve in order to live beneath the sea once more or perish. Humanity [would] go back to the place from whence it came.”

This room was very popular for most as it featured Lady Gaga's famous look in her Bad Romance video.

My question is how on earth did they walk in those heels?! Holy crap.

WOW... I'd probably break my legs... seriously.

I definitely recommend everyone to go see this exhibit if you haven't already BUT It can get extremely crowded. My suggestion would be to attend the exhibit in the morning or on a weekday. The entrance closes at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The do also have special Met Mondays with McQueen where you can view the exhibit after the museum is closed. Also, if you're a member of the Met, you can skip the line (nice...)

Here are some silly photos of my girlfriend at the museum...

"Put your paws up. I'm Lady Gaga."

"Roarrrrrrrr"

Nice buns ;)

Another side note - You HAVE to visit this Sigmund PretzelCart if you go to the Met. Omg. Yummy.

Will you be visiting this exhibit?