It occurred to me recently that Love Token's clothing might have something in common with the work of Alexander McQueen. I don't want to sound bombastic so bear with me as I explain.
Love Token's Cropped Jacket LT43-02
McQueen's Oyster Dress
I recently went to NYC and saw Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty exhibit at the Met where I learned more about the late designer than I knew existed. Just so you know the details: the exhibit was organized by the Costume Institute, funded almost entirely by Alexander McQueen and curated by Andrew Bolton of the Costume Institute.
Savage Beauty lets you get right into McQueen's head. More than just an homage to his vast body of work (there are 170 pieces spanning 19 years) this exhibit takes the viewer into the dark waters of his creative inspiration. The prevalent theme throughout the galleries is Romanticism - in all its unconventional forms.
I found this to be very thought provoking. Love Token is a line inspired by romance in a very traditional way that applies to daily life. McQueen on the other hand applies a beautiful perversion to the idea of romance finding it in even the darkest of recesses. McQueen's work is highly informed by Victorian culture, primitivism, and the precise art of tailoring. But more than anything he was inspired by nature. This happens to be the same thing that inspired the Romantics of 18th century Europe. The interesting thing is that these European artists were operating in the context of (and reacting against) the Industrial Revolution. All the art and literature in praise of nature that came out of this era was juxtaposed with a newly mechanized mass culture. McQueen's work is rife with this same duality of theme.
The first gallery is designated The Romantic Mind. This is partly McQueen's 1992 graduation collection completed while at Central St. Martins in London. Here he mingles life and death, lightness and darkness. In pieces from
Jack The Ripper Stalks His Victim the lining of a seemingly innocent frock coat is made with the slightly more macabre element of encapsulated human hair.
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| Frock Coad from Jack The Ripper Stalks His Victim |
Romantic Gothic is the second gallery. Here we see romance layered with darkness and aggression. Upon entering this gallery one can get a sense that McQueen's fashion designer iconicism was only a step away from couture costume design. Romantic and Gothic aesthetics are often incorporated into modern cult fashion like steam punk and 'goth'. McQueen takes this to the next level.
The most stunning and inspiring room (in my opinion) is the Cabinet of Curiosities. McQueen mentions his admiration for the sado-masochistic aspect of accessories. You'll excuse me if I'm being imperceptive but I don't think this notion of the veiled violence of jewelry would occur to most people - until they enter this gallery. Cabinet of Curiosities also includes clips from McQueen's fashion shows which often played more like performance art pieces. In one show a model in a white dress stands on a spinning platform between 2 robotic spray paint machines. She is frightened and disoriented as the robots slowly gain awareness and begin pelting her with spray paint turning the white muslin dress into
No. 13
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| No. 13 |
As a former apprentice to a tailor McQueen understood garment construction as well as a person can. It was very important to him as a designer to be fully dexterous at his craft so he could undo, destroy, and challenge the conventions of his trade. In Romantic Exoticism towards the middle of the exhibit he reinterprets elements of traditional fashions from cultures all over the world.
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| Dress from Its Only a Game Spring/Summer 2005 |
I was amazed by this exhibit. I was amazed at how brilliantly the production design by Sam Gainsburry and Joseph Bennett complimented Alexander McQueen's work and made me feel like I was inside his head. McQueen was not only a fashion designer. He was also a performance art director, a fine artist, an expert tailor and craftsman, a proud Scottish native, a quirky story teller, a self-proclaimed rule demolisher, and a true Romantic. While Love Token's clothing looks nothing like the work of Alexander McQueen we are proud to uphold his valued tradition of romance as it applies to our daily lives.
