A date for the diary now, as to coincide with the V&A's Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibitions, London College of Fashion's Fashion Space Gallery will shortly be showcasing Warpaint: Alexander McQueen and Make-Up, opening on the 30th April and running until 7th August.
The first ever exhibition to explore McQueen’s catwalk make-up, this satellite exhibition aims to unravel the process and inspirations behind the collections by examining key beauty looks developed by McQueen’s most trusted make-up artists.
McQueen worked in close collaboration with internationally renowned artists such as Val Garland, Peter Philips, Topolino and Sharon Dowsett. The exhibition will give insight into devices and techniques these artists used to realise McQueen’s unique and highly conceptual vision. On display will be a total of 22 looks from 13 collections which have been grouped into three central 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 subtle look intensifies the meaning of the collection.
Val Garland says of working with Alexander McQueen: ‘It all came from him, his point of view. It had to be absolutely specific, he knew when it was just right, when it came as near as possible to his own vision of the look. There was no right or wrong, just his vision.'
The looks on display will range from La Poupée (S/S 1997) collection up until McQueen’s last collection Plato’s Atlantis (S/S 2010) and are showcased on silicone masks, which have been created in collaboration with LCF BA Hair, Make-Up and Prosthetics for Performance students.
McQueen’s shows were renowned for using ground-breaking technology, and in an homage to this, the exhibition will also explore make-up digitally. Make-up looks often evolved throughout the duration of McQueen shows, such as Untitled (S/S 1998) and What A Merry Go Round (A/W 2001). Working with digital creative studio Holition, a 3D installation will reimagine these moments, illustrating the transformation of runway models and highlighting the fundamental role that make-up had in creating McQueen’s narrative. Additionally, visitors are also able to see themselves in select McQueen make-up looks, through Holition’s specially created app, ‘FACE’.
Central to the exhibition space will be a studio environment hosting an extensive programme of masterclasses, talks and demonstrations. The events schedule will be announced shortly.
For more information, visit www.fashionspacegallery.com
Love Laurel x
