-By Dan dos Santos

A while ago, we spoke of the amazing fashion designs of the late Alexander McQueen (See the post HERE).

It just came to my attention that the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC will be home to a exhibition of his work in a few months, entitled ‘Savage Beauty’. The show will run from May 4th, all the way through July 31, 2011. Plenty of time to for you out-of-towners to make a special trip for it!

One of the most amazing things about McQueens work, in my opinion, was his runway shows. They were like watching theatre. Dramatic themes, lighting, and some amazing interactive sets made them true pieces of performance art. You can see some of that performance in the clip below. I really hope the retrospective plays up this important aspect of McQueens work, rather than just vapidly spotlighting a few pieces behind glass.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsP8eLiJKXw?rel=0]

From the Met’s website:
The exhibition, organized by The Costume Institute, will celebrate the late Alexander McQueen’s extraordinary contributions to fashion. From his postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final runway presentation which took place after his death in February 2010, Mr. McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion. Approximately one hundred examples will be on view, including signature designs such as the bumster trouser, the kimono jacket, and the Origami frock coat, as well as pieces reflecting the exaggerated silhouettes of the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, and 1950s that he crafted into contemporary silhouettes transmitting romantic narratives. Technical ingenuity imbued his designs with an innovative sensibility that kept him at fashion’s vanguard.