2013.2.1

Images (4)

Exhibitionism_38 2005.24.1A (textile hanging), 2013.2.1 (gold and velvet gown)

Exhibitionism_25 Left to right P83.39.7 (dress), 72.61.91 (white dress), 88.157.3 (top and skirt), 2015.8.1 (red ensemble), 2002.36.1 (red cape), 2008.45.1 (pants ensemble and shoes case), 2005.24.1A (textile hanging), 2013.2.1 (gold and velvet gown), 2010.37.12 (denim dress back), 2005.2.1 (purple gown), 2002.18.1 (black dress), 91.241.128 (gold gown)

Exhibitionism_24 Left to right 2015.8.1 (red ensemble), 2002.36.1 (red cape), 2008.45.1 (pants ensemble and shoes case), 2005.24.1A (textile hanging), 2013.2.1 (gold and velvet gown)

Object: Evening gown

Brand: Alexander McQueen (English, founded 1992)

Designer: Alexander McQueen (1969 - 2010)

Date: Fall 2007

Medium: Rayon, silk velvet, and bugle beads

Country: England

Credit Line: Museum purchase

Object number: 2013.2.1

DescriptionDark green velvet long sleeve evening gown with hand beaded amber gold bugle beads in a falling hair tresses pattern at upper dress and diminishing towards hem; fitted, flared skirt with train; high band collar; distressed fabric surface

Label Text:This evening gown by Alexander McQueen, densely embellished with a cascade of beaded golden tresses, was part of a collection inspired by witches. This reference underscores the power associated with hair in folklore and mythology. McQueen’s aggressive and sexual fashions polarized audiences and he was often accused of misogyny. But his “perverse” and transgressive aesthetic was probably more about himself than about real women. After a collection inspired by Joan of Arc, McQueen said, “Anyone can be a martyr for their cause. Maybe I was a martyr for homosexuality when I was six.”

In Collection(s)

2000s

Exhibitions:

Fairy Tale Fashion
Exhibitionism: 50 Years of the Museum at FIT
A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk