SELECTIONS FROM THE ARCHIVES OF ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
on view in Bergdorf Goodman’s windows April 29- May 15

Our latest windows feature pieces on loan to Bergdorf Goodman from the Alexander McQueen archives in London.  The windows were created to complement the exhibit “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” which opens at the Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art on Wednesday, May 4.

Trino Verkade, archivist at Alexander McQueen, assisted the window staff in selecting pieces. Together, we chose signature works that thematic windows could be built around.

We designed these windows after spending several weeks researching the work of Alexander McQueen. We looked at every runway look from the past 12 years, as well as viewed videos of all his shows. In doing so, we uncovered the sensibility unique to Alexander McQueen: Gothic elements, love of nature, iconoclasm, unusual shapes, clothing-as-armour, rigorous tailoring, striking use of materials, exquisite craftsmanship.  Among other revelations, we found that in McQueen there is seriousness of purpose with many parallels to contemporary British art.

McQueen’s work was highly inspiring. Especially thrilling was the opportunity to work with natural materials in bizarre ways. The fashions suggested an extreme approach to settings and props. Each window is different from the others, but we have created, among other things, a cabinet of British curiosities, a mysterious forest, and a video installation showing clips from a decade’s worth of McQueen runway shows.  I hope you enjoy them.

— David Hoey

Scroll to see our Alexander McQueen Fifth Avenue Windows
Please do not use or copy photos

Photos © Ricky Zehavi 2011
Please do not use or copy photographs

Friend the House of Alexander McQueen for close-up pictures of our Fifth Avenue Windows

Go behind-the-scenes with the install on The Swipe

Join Linda Fargo at last night’s MET Gala

Learn more about the Costume Institute’s Exhibition

Learn more about our latest Fifth Avenue Windows
honoring Alexander McQueen