The fantasy of ugliness in Alexander McQueen collections (1992-2009)
How did literature and the visal arts inspired Alexander McQueen to merge sex and horror in his own art form?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21814/2i.3157Keywords:
McQueen; literature; visual arts; aesthetics; body norms; fashion.Abstract
Alexander McQueen (1969-2010) changed the fashion industry and history forever with his innovations and runaway shows that verged on performance art. His talent for tailoring matched the strong narrative and originality of his garments. Some of them were destined for commercial consumption and catered to the masses, but most of them were works of art grown from a vivid yet macabre imagination. He refused the common grounds of fashion to focus on themes usually ignored, such as fetishism, violence, death and mental disturbance. Therefore, he aimed to transcend the usual and reach for the sublime as he created a fantasy world out of his own tormented mind. His Romantic and Gothic inspired work mirrored the anxieties of our times, and raised fashion to an art form on its own, thus prompting a reflection on the affiliation between fashion, visual arts and literature.
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