Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse at NGV International

Opening at NGV International on Sunday December 11 and running until April next year, Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse is the first exhibition in Australia to explore the work of the extraordinary designer, nearly 13 years after his tragic passing.

Organised by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria, the exhibition will showcase 60 garments and accessories from LACMA’s holdings of McQueen’s most important works – with an additional 50 designs from the NGV Collection, making this Australian exclusive an especially comprehensive survey of his conceptual and technical virtuosity.

Also on display are over 70 historical artworks – painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts and works on paper – from both LACMA and the NGV, revealing the intricate web of reference points that influenced McQueen’s designs. This carefully curated array of garments and artworks not only showcases McQueen’s creative process, but also his talent for storytelling in each of his collections.

Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse features highlights and cult pieces from some of the designer’s earliest and most acclaimed collections, from the controversial Highland Rape collection (A/W 1995–6) and the poetic The Widows of Culloden collection (A/W 2006–7), both of which reference the designer’s ancestry and Scottish history. Also on display is an in-depth presentation of Deliverance (S/S 2004) and his final complete collection, Plato’s Atlantis (S/S 2010). The exhibition also features commissioned headpieces by LA-based artist and designer Michael Schmidt, as well as garments originally owned by Isabella Blow and Annabelle Neilson, both muses of McQueen’s.

Book your tickets via the NGV website, or drop in during the NGV International’s usual opening hours between 10am and 5pm daily.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria.