Warpaint: Alexander McQueen and Make-Up

This exhibition will focus on Alexander McQueen’s catwalk make-up and coincides with the major retrospective of his work, Savage Beauty at the V&A. It aims to unravel the process and inspirations behind the collections by exploring key looks developed by McQueen’s most trusted make-up artists through three recurring themes. Amplified, where facial features are obscured and exaggerated. Deviated, where make-up goes beyond the traditional areas and covers other parts of the body and Stripped, where the look is so subtle it intensifies the meaning of the collection.

The exhibition also explores make-up digitally, working with digital creative studio Holition, visitors will be able to try-on a few select looks in a specially created app, using Holition’s new ‘FACE’ technology. In addition, a newly commissioned projection mapping display will feature make-up looks that have undergone a transformation through the duration of the catwalk presentation.
Central to the exhibition space will be a studio environment, which will act as the activation space for the extensive programme planned for this exhibition. It will host masterclasses, talks and demonstrations. More details and the events programme will be announced at the end of April, so please check back.

Warpaint: Alexander McQueen and Make-Up is satellite exhibition to the V&A’s major retrospective Savage Beauty curated by Polona Dolzan and commissioned by Ligaya Salazar.