'Savage Beauty' expanded for its homecoming

An expanded and enhanced version of Alexander McQueen's retrospective 'Savage Beauty', which was originally designed for the Metropolitan Museum in New York, is set to open in London's Victoria & Albert next year.

Alexander McQueen's 'Savage Beauty', which went on to become the second most visited at the New York Met museum, is set to stage its homecoming next year, coming after V&A's recent show about another London star – David Bowie.

Over 16,000 tickets have already been sold for the 'Savage Beauty', which is set to open on March 14, 2015, which is said to feature outfits from McQueen's 1992 post graduate collection, as well as creations from his final, uncompleted collection.

V&A's edit of the exhibition will be put together by the same creative team which curated the show for the Met, alongside with Gainsbury and Whiting, the production company which worked alongside with Alexander McQueen on staging his famous fashion week and catwalk shows.

The exhibition will be divided into 10 sections which are spilt into themes. A room dedicated to the late designers early years has been crafted for the exhibition's homecoming, called Simply London, which will focus on his early years that shaped his skills and talents. Another section, Romantic Gothic, will showcase pieces from the late designer's final and unfinished collection.

Another new addition to the exhibition is a personal homage to one of McQueen's close friends, Kate Moss. A hologram of the model, which was featured during the designer's 'Widows of Culloden' runaway show for his fall/winter 06-07 show is set to be restored to life size for the exhibition.

Also, over 40 new items from the late designer will be showcased, including a number of outfits which could not be transported to New York for the retrospective such as the white feathered dress from 'The Horn of Plenty' from his fall/winter 09-10 collection and the red ballet dress from 'The Girl who Lived in the Tree' from fall/winter 08-09, making this the largest retrospective of the designer's work.

“I am thrilled that this magnificent show is coming to London and feel passionately that the V&A is its natural home,” said Martin Roth, Director of the V&A. “Lee Alexander McQueen presented his work here during his lifetime and studied the museum's wide-ranging public collections of tailoring, painting, art, photography and books as inspiration for his visionary designs, yet remained vigorously anti-establishment and a true provocateur.”

Photos: British Vogue