Alexander McQueen about the "Savage Beauty" Exhibition in quotes

London

'You take inspiration from the street, with the trousers so low. You don't need to go to India, you can find it in places like Bethnal Green or down Brick Lane. It's everywhere'
- Alexander McQueen 

'London's where I grew up. It's where my heart is and where I get my inspiration'
- Alexander McQueen

Savage Mind

‘You’ve got to know the rules to break them. That’s what I’m here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition.’
- Alexander McQueen

'I want to be the purveyor of a certain silhouette or a way of cutting, so that when I'm dead and gone people will know that the twenty-first century was started by Alexander McQueen.'
- Alexander McQueen

A Gothic Mind 

‘People find my things sometimes aggressive. But I don’t see it as aggressive. I see it as romantic, dealing with a dark side of personality.’
- Alexander McQueen

 ‘There has to be a sinister aspect, whether it’s melancholy or sadomasochist. I think everyone has a deep sexuality, and sometimes it’s good to use a little of it – and sometimes a lot of it – like a masquerade.’
- Alexander McQueen

Romantic Primitivism 

'What I do is look at ancient African tribes, and the way they dress. There's a lot of tribalism in the collections.'
- Alexander McQueen

'Fashion can be really racist, looking at the clothes of other cultures as costumes.

That's mundane and it's old hat. Let's break down some barriers.'

- Alexander McQueen

The Girl Who Lived In A Tree

Alexander McQueen for his
Autumn/Winter 2008 fashionshow:
"I've got a 600-year-old elm tree in my garden," he said, "and I made up this story of a girl who lives in it and comes out of the darkness to meet a prince and become a queen." 

The Campaign:

Plumes and Feathers

Feathers have remained a constant within costume and design – from the Elizabethan court to contemporary figures such as Alexander McQueen – their symbolism, use and effect has altered drastically over the course of history, particularly in the 20th century.

An exhibition that opened at MoMu in Antwerp - Plumes and Feathers in Fashion. Curated by Karen Van Godtsenhoven, the exhibition displays garments created by designers including Cristóbal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester. "Feathers are always used to express something," says Van Godtsenhoven. Alexander McQueen’s work is most evident. Feathers and birds were a recurring motif within his collections, with the designer acknowledging their influence upon his work. “Birds in flight fascinate me," he said in the December 2007 edition of Numéro magazine. "I admire eagles and falcons. I’m inspired by a feather but also its color, its graphics, its weightlessness and its engineering. It’s so elaborate. In fact I try and transpose the beauty of a bird to women.”

A white feathered garment from Alexander McQueen's autumn/winter 2009 collection
IMAGE François Nars

The Birds (1995)

In 1995 Lee drew inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s film The Birds which a town is attacked by aggressive birds, for his spring runway show.
Models walked down the runway in dresses made of scotch tape and covered in tire marks, everything from feathers and bird prints and making them appear as if they have been run over the car.

The Jacket s/s1995

Once again, the bumster pants were presented (above shown in the second figure). Alexander McQueen was gaining notoriety as a brand; before the show rumors had been flying that Lee had hired a New York publicist. Recently, he had landed a six-page spread in the August 1994 edition of Elle Magazine. In fact, many people attributed the growing popularity of the once mocked London Fashion Week to people’s interest in Alexander McQueen. 
The show took place in a warehouse notoriously used for underground parties named Bagleys, in the run down neighborhood of King’s Cross (reputed to be a red-light district). The ground is also covered with tire marks, and appears to be dirty. Once again, McQueen is called a misogynist by reviewers, to which he responded: “I design clothes because I don’t want women to look all innocent and naive, because I know what can happen to them.

 I want women to look stronger." 

LONG LIVE MCQUEEN

 Who is McQueen?

Born on March 17, 1969, in Lewisham, London, Alexander McQueen became head designer of the Louis Vuitton-owned Givenchy fashion line. In 2004 he launched his own menswear line, earned the British Fashion Council's British Designer of the Year award four times. 

Earning the title "l'enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion", The McQueen house's early collections developed its reputation for controversy and shock tactics. 

"I design clothees because I don't want women to look innocent and naive. I want woman to look stronger. I don't like women to be taken advantage of. I don't like men whistling at women in the street. I think they deserve more respect. I like men to keep their distance from women, I like men to bestunned by an entrance. I've seen a woman get nearly beaten to death by her husband. I know what misogyny is, I want people to be afraid of the women I dress."   
                                                     Alexander McQueen