Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty opens at the V&A London, co-presented by Swarovski

The much-hyped retrospective exhibition Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty has finally come home to London, the "epicentre" of McQueen's creative life, opening at the Victoria & Albert Museum today.

At the Opening Gala, the crème de la crème of the world of fashion, film, royalty and glamour descended onto the V&A for a black-tie do, decked in black, lace and sculptural shapes for a dramatic edge, in the spirit of McQueen.  

Highlights of the gala event and details of the exhibition which is open until 2 August can be viewed on the V&A website.  

Click Here.

THE POWER OF BELIEF (Glamour) is one of Swarovski's
main themes for Spring/Summer 2016. Sacred iconography is re-imagined for a modern era.

As co-presenter of the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition, Swarovski - the global house of cut crystal and fashion jewellery - has been associated with McQueen since the 1990s when Isabella Blow introduced the young designer to Nadja Swarovski.  This led to numerous collaborations starting with supporting McQueen’s 1999 collection as well as the creation, alongside Tord Boontje, of the V&A’s Grand Entrance crystal Christmas tree in 2003; and the dramatic Swarovski Gemstone-encrusted Bird’s Nest Headdress for his Autumn/Winter 2006 collection. Swarovski has worked with designers since Daniel Swarovski’s precision-cut crystals became much-valued ingredients in the dressmaking ateliers of Paris, beginning the tradition of close collaboration between Swarovski and haute couture that remains to this day.

Looking at the innovations of Swarovski’s new collection for Spring/Summer 2016, Swarovski focuses the direction of its design innovations on the human quest for happiness, strength,  hope and fulfilment, and the importance of visual representation as a way of expressing these desires. 

Four sub-themes for Spring/Summer 2016 have been identified, with their corresponding crystal innovations: The Blossoming of Happiness (Classic); The Nature of Strength (Progressive); The Mythology of Hope (Romantic); The Power of Belief (Glamour).

Swarovski has attributed the season’s inspiration to simply “Between Heaven and Earth”, featuring a collection of loose crystal assortment of cuts, colours, effects and line extensions, 

  THE MYTHOLOGY OF HOPE (Romantic) is another of Swarovski's theme for Spring/summer 2016.

Modern yet mythological, romantic design takes its influence from ancient Greek goddesses, folkloric winged creatures, and the soft dappled light of dawn and dusk. 

The two photos above are among the inspirational images provided by Swarovski from their new Spring Summer 2016 collection.  I have included them here because to me they seem to embody the spirit of McQueen, who is regarded by many not only as a maverick designer, but also an artist.  The Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A is a celebration of McQueen's life's work, his talent, skills and creativity that elevated him above the rest of his generation.