Alexander
McQueen (British, 1969–2010)
Dress
The Horn of Plenty, autumn/winter 2009–10
Black duck feathers
Courtesy of Alexander McQueen
Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø / Art + Commerce
Dress
The Horn of Plenty, autumn/winter 2009–10
Black duck feathers
Courtesy of Alexander McQueen
Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø / Art + Commerce
Andrew
Bolton: One of the
most compelling items in this particular gallery is an ensemble that’s made out
of duck feathers dyed black, which gives the impression of a raven. A raven was
a Romantic symbol of death. It’s an item that’s very
melancholic but also very romantic at the same time. It came from a collection
called The Horn of Plenty. And The Horn of Plenty was
a collection that was very much inspired by the 1950s haute couture. And you
even see the silhouette here; you see the very nipped-in waist, the huge
shoulders. McQueen loved a very hard shoulder and a very small waist. So even
in this particular garment—even though it seems so extreme—he’s still
referencing 1950s couture. He’s still playing with the proportions that he
loved so much.
And
feathers play such an important role in McQueen’s work. He loved birds. And
feathers was a material that he would revisit again and again in his work.
In
McQueen’s Words
“It is
important to look at death because it is a part of life. It is a sad thing,
melancholy but romantic at the same time. It is the end of a cycle—everything
has to end. The cycle of life is positive because it gives room for new
things.”
Drapers, February 20, 2010