Just over a year on from his death, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is showcasing the fashion genius of Alexander McQueen with a new exhibition.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty is a celebration of the late McQueen’s extraordinary contributions to fashion, from his Central Saint Martins’ Postgraduate collection in 1992, to the final runway presentation after his death in February 2010. His work challenged and expanded our understanding of fashion, shifting our focus away from the aesthetics and more towards the cultural and political messages of his collections.

Based in the Museum’s second-floor Cantor Galleries, the exhibition will feature around 100 examples of McQueen’s designs that have been drawn from the Alexander McQueen Archive in London, and some from the Givenchy Archive in Paris. Highlights include his signature Bumster Trousers, Kimono Jacket and Origami Coat. Savage Beauty will also showcase the recurring themes and concepts from McQueen’s 19-year career, highlighting his narrative approach to fashion and revealing the main characters behind his collections, such as the femme fatales and the highwaymen. One of the most exciting aspects of a McQueen show was not only the clothes, but the theatrical displays that illustrated the ideas behind his collection. A separate screening room will play videos of McQueen’s most memorable runway presentations and demonstrate his boundless creativity.

Part of the exhibition was previewed at The Ritz Hotel in London as part of London Fashion Week, but the display will open to the public on 4^th May until the 31^st July 2011. To celebrate the grand opening, the Museum’s Costume Institute Benefit will take place on Monday 2^nd May. The honorary chairs will be Franҫois-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek, with co-chairs including recent Oscar-winner Colin Firth, designer Stella McCartney, and Vogue icon Anna Wintour.

A book will accompany the exhibition and will provide an overview of Alexander McQueen’s career. Andrew Bolton, the curator of the Costume Institute describes McQueen’s work as “an outlet for his emotions, an expression of the deepest, often darkest, aspects of his imagination”, and the exhibition will allow you to gain an insight into the workings of this vivid imagination.

For more information, visit metmuseum.org

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