Bittersweet symphony - MET honors Alexander Lee McQueen with a retrospective

Last night, May 2nd 2011, the annual Costume Institute gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was all about a bittersweet farewell. The gala was the opening event to the annual exhibition of the Costume Institute, which this year is dedicated to Alexander Lee McQueen. From May 4 until July 31st, the MET will be hosting "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" - a tribute to the late designer extraordinaire and his prolific career.
From his graduation from Central Saint Martins in 1992, where his long lasting confidante Isabelle Blow bought his entire first collection to his final one, which was shown posthumously in March 2010, the exhibition shows a careful selection of his magnum opus.

The exhibits were primarily selected from the Alexander McQueen archives in London and complemented by pieces of private collections and the Givenchy archive in Paris. Two production designers of his fashion shows - namely Sam Gainsbury and Joseph Bennett - have been serving as creative director and production designer for the exhibit, which clearly suggests that the setting of the exposition will not only display the remarkable garments but also the poetic narrative behind every collection.

Also, the setting of the Costume Institute gala was fit for McQueen. Scottish bagpipes paid tribute to the designer's Scottish origin, while a replica of an oak tree in the Great Hall of the MET referenced to the ones on McQueen's property in Sussex, England.

Just as the title, which already epitomises the designers inner conflict and his subsequent perception of aesthetics, "Savage Beauty" is an exhibition which displays the omnipresent duality Alexander McQueen has mastered to build his collections around like no other. Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute, tells that Lee McQueen sometimes referred to himself as the Edgar Allan Poe of fashion, yet besides the strong narrative, the craftsmanship and creative mind of McQueen are highlighted throughout the exhibition. The exhibition is fragmented into themes - The Romantic Mind, Romantic Gothic, Cabinet of Curiosities, Romantic Nationalism, Romantic Exoticism, Romantic Primitivism and Romantic Naturalism - and takes the visitor through the different stages in the designers career. His different inspirations and fervours like art, painting, history, literature are paid tribute throughout every theme. Also, the staging of the garments is accompanied by footage of his ten most iconic fashion show moments, which again underline his talent as a storyteller, his sense for a grand entrance and his - in the fashion world- unmatched cinematic showmanship.
The MET's blog offers a beautiful selection of video excerpts of Alexander McQueen's fashion shows and a brief illustration of the exhibit by curator Andrew Bolton.

The MET gala - which marked the opening of the exhibit devoted to the British designer usually has a lot of gloriously glamorous fashion moments to offer...this year however, the priviliged attendees excelled by flaunting a ravishing array of Alexander McQueens late designs. Also, some other spectactular robes - i.e. Zac Posen, Givenchy, Pucci & Stella McCartney supplied that extra dose of glamour and drama. My personal favorites - and this time it was truly hard to pick were: Karolina Kurkova in Jean Paul Gaultier, Christina Ricci in Zac Posen, Crystal Renn in Zac Posen, Giselle Bündchen in Alexander McQueen and Salma Hayek in Alexander McQueen.

Quote of the evening: When asked how McQueen would have reacted on a gala and exhibition hosted in his honour, Philip Treacy, one of the designers confidants dryly responded "He would not have come".


xoxo
Glamazone

Source: blog.metmuseum.org, www.style.com, WWD.com, www.wmagazine.com
Picture Source: blog.metmuseum.org, www.wmagazine.com

Newcomer to watch - Yiquing Yin

Yiquing Yin, French designer with Chinese descent knows how to design collections that dreams are made of. That is one reason that makes her one of the interesting emerging talents to have on the radar for the future.

The garments of the 25-year-old, who graduated of the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in 2009, have the surreal appeal of dreams and feelings shaped into sculptures. They express both the designers technical skills as well as her personal fragility and inner emotional conflicts.

Yinquing Yin manages to instrumentalise movements of the body and combine them with the fluidity of fabrics to an ensemble of texture, volume, structure and proportion that is intricate, elaborate and yet possesses an incredible softness.

Yiquing Yin was one of ten young artists, who annually take part in the Festival International de Mode et de Photographie à Hyères, where the designer reached the finals with her S/S 2011 collection "Exile". The internationally reputed festival gathers once a year under the patronage of an international panel of experts of the likes of Raf Simons, Tim Blanks, Lazaro Hernandez & Jack McCollough, Cathy Horyn, Carla Sozzani (jury cast of 2011) to provide emerging designers with a platform and support.
Also, Yiquing Yin was awarded with the Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris in the category upcoming designer.

As a special perk during Paris Fashion Week A/W 2011, she was amongst a selection of eight young Parisian designers, which were picked by French Vogue to showcase a selection of their most significant pieces at the first edition of  Petit Salon des Jeunes Créateurs at the Hôtel de Crillon. Selected pieces were also featured in the March issue of French Vogue and footage about the designers was featured on the Vogue website.

The garments Yiquing Yin has presented so far channel her past, which was characterised by her life as a child of refugees, who came to France when she was four years old. "Exile" translates her emotions, identity and self-perception that is dominated by her destiny as a refugee as well as her grief and puts it into the dreamy constructs that her garments are.
Cocoon-shapes and sophisticated flowy drapes accomodate her desire for protection and appear like a soft armour. While fabrics float and caress the silhouette,  the delicate materials enwrap the body like a second skin.

We are surely looking forward to seeing more of Yiquing Yin and very much hope she will be able to keep up the delicate sensuality of her garments and continue to transport her emotions in her collections.


xoxo
Glamazone

Source: www.villanoailles-hyeres.com, www.yiqingyin.com, vogue.fr
Picture Source: www.yiqingyin.com

Model of the moment: Arizona Muse

Fashion weeks are over, brands are fêting their praise of the industry (chez Prada, Alexander McQueen, Fendi, Haider Ackermann et al), are licking their wounds if their efforts have not been appreciated ( Maison Martin Margiela) or are busy resolving scandals and their effects (Dior).

Meanwhile there is plenty of time to take a closer look at the model that emerges on the top of the list after the fashion week marathon and whose name is on everyones' lips: Arizona Muse.
How can you not become famous with a name like that?!
Obviously, it does help if you have the abstract beauty, expressive wide-set eyes, strong eyebrows that make Muse's recognition value and being absolutely ubiquitous during New York and Paris Fashion Week does help to push a career as well.
The 20-year old American who was born in Arizona - hence her name - was discovered in 2008 already, as she had a baby break, she stopped modelling for 1.5 years, only to return to modelling in 2010 and take off after the A/W 2011 shows.

During her second season, the 5'10'' tall Arizona already scored all major designers and could be spotted during every big name's show. Galliano, Dior, Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton, YSL, Versace, Burberry...the list is endless. Despite the numerous catwalks the American beauty scored, she is also featured in two major campaigns this season: Prada's adorable colourful spring/summer campaign, which was photographed by Steven Meisel and which truly unfurls its full good-mood effect in its appendant campaign film.

Furthermore, Arizona Muse ran off Daria Werbowy as the face of YSL's current print campaign and was also selected for the spring/summer campaign film under the creative direction of Stefano Pilati, which was shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in Marrakech.
Being a relative newcomer, it is quite remarkable that Arizona is ranked 23rd on models.com. Counting Vogue covers, a 60-pages fashion editorial as well as four different covers of the March issue of Dazed & Confused magazine, it is pretty obvious, that the fashion industry has found the face that we can expect to see a lot more of in the not so distant future.

xoxo
Glamazone

Source: models.com
Picture Source: style.com, models.com

Doing her mentor proud - Sarah Burton shines with her Alexander McQueen fall 2011 RTW collection

“The Ice Queen and Her Court” was the magical title of Alexander McQueen's fall 2011 collection and the show did not fall short of giving us every single ounce of drama we have been craving to see on the catwalks of this year's fashion weeks and instead got so plenty adjacent to them.

Sarah Burton combined the duality of Romanticism - the delicate, light and fragile world of beauty and innocence with the dark, twisted and dangerous side of mysticism.
The venue of the show was La Conciergerie, former royal palace - and prison of crowned heads like Marie Antoinette before her execution- whose gloomy medieval halls had already hosted one of Alexander McQueen's spectacular shows in 2002.

Classic McQueen silhouettes - which Sarah Burton called the "heritage silhouettes" of the brand dominated the collection, yet, their execution was exquisite and had plenty of nouveau elements.
Inuit influenced fur details in stone grey or black that were sewn along hems and cowls, numerous zippers that were carefully integrated into the structure of garments, or alternatively lacing that was enhancing both the cut as well as catering as eye catchers.
Flowy dresses paired with leather harnesses that reminded of a Viking goddess and various types of fur and feathers combined to a harmonious structure of a dress.

The real spectacle of the show however were the skillful honeycomb structures that had been carefully crafted of organza and silk, forming exquisite flouncy skirts and dresses. Another ravishing detail were the elaborate fitted bodices made of mosaic china fragments.

The intricate fabrics and  the blending of soft and hard textures - leather elements were combined with feathers or fur, chiffon was ornated with rivets and a stiff surface of china fragments was combined with the most fragile looking trail of tulle and silk.

The styling comprised of a mixture between Tilda Swinton's appearance as Jadis, the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia with her mythical and theatrical beauty and a modern day warrior, which was complemented by the up-does that looked like a helmet formed of barrettes.
Chokers, collars and over knee laced platform boots mitigated the delicate look and gave it some edge of the real world.
A collection that would be fit for a costume designer and one that convinced the last skeptic that Sarah Burton was an excellent choice to perpetuate the challenge in succeeding Alexander Lee McQueen's reign at his eponymous brand.

The exquisite garments with their dark romantic touch that would have done Hans Christian Andersen - author of the fairy tale "The Snow Queen" proud.


xoxo
Glamazone


Source: style.com, WWD.com
Picture Source: style.com, WWD.com

The Gaga Show - Nichola Formichetti's debut at Mugler

March 2nd 2011, from 9pm onwards, one could witness Nichola Formichetti's debut as creative director at Mugler via live stream on facebook.
The Mugler A/W 2011 RTW collection surely was one of the most anticipated events of Paris Fashion Week after Nichola Formichetti -  Lady Gaga's acclaimed stylist, fashion director of Vogue Japan, fashion director of Uniqlo and creative director of Dazed and Confused Magazine had been named creative director of  Mugler next to also newly appointed designer, Sebastien Peigné.

 After some additional Twitter frenzy over Lady Gaga walking Formichetti's show, quite a number of people logged on to facebook to watch the Mugler A/W 2011 RTW show live. Over 40 mins, one could peek behind the stage and watch numerous activities previous to the show from various camera angles. Admission, make-up, models, Lady Gaga, friend, muse and favorite pet of the stylist getting ready and practicing her last moves. Two of the titbits - may they have been spontaneous or rehearsed - were Lady Gaga announcing laconically that it would be even good press if she would vomit on stage and secondly that she just wants the public to say that she is a beautiful woman after the show (oh come on - still not over the polemic, are we?!).

The scenery for the runway was a mixture of an enchanted forest and a gothic cathedral, which set the stage for a show that ressembled a mixture between fashion, Lady Gaga self-promotion and a chaotic hide-and-seek game in dim flickering disco light. The models were half strutting, half stumbling on the platform wedges (the only one who mastered them effortlessly was Gaga) putting on a show that was composed of clutching along the pillars, lip synching a medley of Lady Gaga's latest album - featuring her "Born this Way" anthem- clenching their teeth, displaying their figurative claws and striking a vamp-y pose for the photographers. Check the official directors cut here.

Many of the garments of the show called “Anatomy of Change Femme – Mode Sans Frontiers,” featured Thierry Mugler's signature giant epaulettes, which had made the designer famous in the 80ies. Otherwise, the clothes featured a lot of sheer tops, or tops with sheer cut-outs revealing the bust or tiny synthetic bustiers. Skin tight membrane-looking clothes took turns with avant-gard garments which seemed futuristic and outlandish. Glossy elements were combined with natural textures - creating a look that made me think of the Borg of Starship enterprise - a fictive civilisation, which strives to be a superior race by sometimes brutally assimilating nature with technology. An association which might also be explicable by the fact that the Nichola Formichetti named Rick Genest aka "Zombie Boy"as his latest inspiration at the brand Mugler.

Nichola Formichetti, darling du jour of the industry surely gained some more momentum by this fabulous show and may just have promoted his vision of outlandish and eccentric beauty (I actually really think the time has come to pass the word gaga-esque as part of our vocabulary) a little more. Also, he managed to communicate his vision of the future of fashion brands, which is a seemless blending of showmanship, media communication, fashion, lifestyle and a sentiment, attitude and atmosphere at the same time.
The showmanship of the event was surely convincing and could live up to the hype. The limelight however was rather on Lady Gaga and the overall show elements than on the clothes. Also, the lighting, the labyrinthine scenery and extrovert posing and lip synching of the models was that much input that it took away attention from - what used to be- the actual core of the show: the collection.

All in all a successful publicity stunt that surely brought Lady Gaga, Nichola Formichetti and the label Mugler into many headlines. (One of the first headlines after the show being that Lady Gaga, already "bought" the entire collection ...surprised anybody?!)

xoxo
Glamazone

Souce: www.mugler.com
Picture Source: www.nicolaformichetti.com, WWD.com, style.com, fashionista.com