Alexander McQueen, his final show.

[Jazz]

Alexander McQueen, 1969-2010.

I was sad when I heard that Alexander McQueen decided to take his own life. It happened close to his next, now final, show. His work was brilliant.

..."While we waited, one of McQueen’s staff said that the employees had thought long and hard about what to do. To go ahead with the show he’d envisaged seemed crass. To do nothing felt wrong, since he had cut and finished 16 patterns, chosen the fabrics and felt happy with the way it was progressing — just as he had, she said, felt “complete” after his previous, ecstatically received show last September."...

In the end, his final collection was shown to a very few people . This article contains the slideshow. Beautiful.
women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article7055740.ece

[spindrift]

I would love to wear that dress to a grand occasion

[Jazz]

The flower dress is my most loved McQueen creation. Then, I like this,

[bixaorellana]

Oh, Jazz -- that was a magnificent presentation. As it happens, yesterday I read an article on Rodarte. Viewing their site right after seeing the McQueen final show here really points up the enormous strengths, talent, and vision of McQueen.

Thanks so much for this.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2010 17:04:58 GMT Jazz said:

The flower dress is my most loved McQueen creation.

But that's ornamental cabbage, isn't it?

[Jazz]

Thanks Bixa, what is Rodarte?

I wanted to post about McQueen because he was one of the most brilliant haute couture designers of the latter 20th century. Most of us, of course, could never wear, or afford, his work, but it is brilliant and artistic. He would have been wonderful designing for a period or futuristic film. His sense of history seems powerful in his work, as is the oriental influence. He ended his life only days after his mother died, with whom he had a very close bond. I wish that there could be a universal button to press for anyone who is deeply disturbed....and someone could say, 'Please, please, stop, wait, talk to those people who care about you, and there are many, before you do this. We love you and we'll help you and tomorrow will be better, I promise'....

Only a few months ago, an well loved colleague of mine ended his life in the same way as McQueen and was found by his two young children. He was upset by the lack of work in the film business here in Toronto and couldn't cope.

[bixaorellana]

"Brilliant" is indeed the word, Jazz. He was truly a master.

I chose Rodarte to contrast with him, not because I have anything against them, but because the difference in vision is so marked between the two collections. Viewing his catapulted my mind into almost palpable vignettes of history, whereas Rodarte's, though good, is essentially the same dress over and over again.

see if you can find a hard copy of this and check out the website

[Jazz]

Mar 13, 2010 17:39:11 GMT kerouac2 said:

But that's ornamental cabbage, isn't it?

;D No, it isn't ornamental cabbage. The blooms of the dress seem to be roses or some other flower of the mauve, purple palette. It wouldn't bother me if they were ornamental cabbages, which are beautiful. Long before ornamental cabbages became 'chi-chi' in Toronto landscaping, I was the first person I knew to plant them...given that my budget was minimal, they became part of my gardens and I loved them.

[bixaorellana]

The new Alexander McQueen fall/winter collection, under the creative directorship of Sarah Burton, was unveiled on October 5.

Click the first photo for a slide show presentation of the collection. You can click on the individual pictures in that slide show for extreme closeups.

Click the second photo for more information about Sarah Burton.

Go here for more shots and excellent related articles.

Here is the last fall/winter collection cut “on the stand” by McQueen in the weeks before his death.
Click picture to see all sixteen showpieces.

[bixaorellana]

www.freep.com/article/20110429/NEWS07/110429030/Sarah-Burton-designer-royal-wedding-dress

Sarah Burton designed Kate Middleton's wedding dress, also the graceful number worn by maid of honor Pippa Middleton.

[Kimby]

I'm hearing that Kate herself had a lot of influence in designing the gown. As it should be.
And wouldn't it be awful if her dress had resembled any of the other creations shown on this thread.

(I am being very generous in my selection of the word "creation" )

I want to see more photos of Pippa's lovely gown. Love that greek goddess neckline.

[spindrift]

Yes, Pippa's gown looked fantastic on her shapely and thin figure. Those Middleton girls are so goodlooking. Of course they also have immense poise and dignity.

[Deleted]

I see that there was nothing to fear from mosquitos.

[bixaorellana]

I liked Pippa's dress much better than that of the bride. Nothing wrong with the bridal gown, except that it was very ho-hum.

Kate probably didn't want ready-to-wear, but this is just one wedding-appropriate dress offered in the Alexander McQueen (by Sarah Burton) Fall/Winter 2011 collection. Click here to see all of them.


Here is one A. McQ. (by Sarah Burton) that was touted as a possibility for The Big Wedding:

Picture is from this blog, which wrote:
Looks like a super long futuristic veil like that in Sci-Fi movie the Fifth Element.The wedding dress is an exquisite creation featuring a 500 meter hand-pleated chiffon train ....
I really like the fairy tale feel of the dress.

And in other Alexander McQueen news, if you're in New York any time between now and the end of July, you can check out the show "Savage Beauty" in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Preview here.

[nycgirl]

I just noticed this thread, and wanted to say that the McQueen exhibit in NYC was amazing. I was really able to appreciate his craftsmanship and eye for detail by seeing the pieces up close. And it was really cool to see how his various interests (from Romanticism, to history, to Tim Burton films) played a part in inspiring his creations. Besides it being a stunning collection, the Met did a beautiful job mounting it. It was one of the best exhibits I've ever seen.

It's over now, but I wrote a short article about it. www.examiner.com/bargain-entertainment-in-new-york/last-chance-to-view-alexander-mcqueen-s-stunning-exhibit-at-the-met

[bixaorellana]

Thanks so much for linking to your excellent article, NYCGirl. You really convey the sense of continuing excitement and artistic pertinence his work elicits. I was wondering if a museum exhibit would be too static, but your description of it makes me all the more sorry I couldn't see it.

[nycgirl]

Thanks, Bixa!

Take a look at this video, it's a life-size 3D hologram of Kate Moss that McQueen created to close one of his runway shows. It's so ethereal and haunting. The Met featured a scale-down version of this at the exhibition.