"Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Exhibition Draws Big Crowds At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Photo of the poster for the exhibit

For non-member visitors, wait time can be as long as 1 and a half hours on weekends.

Video from jeremy538754

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty is a new special retrospective of the late fashion designer at the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall on the second floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Organized by The Costume Institute, the special exhibit celebrates  Mr. McQueen's extraordinary contributions to fashion. From his postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final runway presentation which took place after his death in February 2010, Mr. McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion. Approximately one hundred examples are on view, including signature designs such as the bumster trouser, the kimono jacket, and the Origami frock coat, as well as pieces reflecting the exaggerated silhouettes of the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, and 1950s that he crafted into contemporary silhouettes transmitting romantic narratives. Technical ingenuity imbued his designs with an innovative sensibility that kept him at fashion's vanguard. The creations are displayed in different galleries called The Romantic Mind, Romantic Gothic and Cabinet of Curiosities, Romantic Nationalism, Romantic Exoticism, Romantic Primitivism, and Romantic Naturalism.

The special exhibit runs through July 31, 2011. Waiting time for non-members during the weekend can be as long as 1 and a half hours, so visitors are advised to come in the morning or on a weekday. Museum members bypass the line (information obtained from The Met)