Alexander McQueen: special edition scarves

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty broke the record for the most-ever advance sales for a V&A exhibition. It is bigger than its predecessor at Now York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and has been hailed as a must-see for lovers of fashion. I'm curious to go, now that the initial hype as died down, because although it is aesthetically impressive by all accounts, some questions have been raised about the lack of context that the curation provides. I'm reserving judgement until I have seen it for myself, however I'm fairly sure it will enchant me in the same way as the Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore exhibition at Somerset House.

In the meantime I wanted to share a couple of things that have been created as a direct result of this exhibition's magnitude. Firstly, Alexander McQueen's special edition scarves. The iconic McQueen scarf has been reinvented for this collection and each one displays an iconic piece of the designer's work. When laid flat the items are seen in all their original glory but worn as a scarf, the colours and patterns transform into something completely unique.

The Widows of Culloden scarf references McQueen's AW06 show inspired by his Scottish roots, and the It's Only a Game scarf references his SS05 show inspired by the 1975 film Picnic At Hanging Rock.

'Widows of Culloden' and 'It's Only A Game' scarves

From fashion to food, here's an entirely different way to celebrate some of McQueen's most iconic pieces. You might recall my trip to the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge to sample their fashion-inspired afternoon tea, where the exquisite desserts each reflect an item from the current season's catwalk. Well Prêt-à-Portea is celebrating Savage Beauty in its own delicious way – with a biscuit creation of the iconic armadillo heels and a stunning version of the butterfly hat created by Philip Treacy for the SS08 McQueen collection, made of chocolate mousse covered in sugar butterflies.

The Caramel Rooms at the Berkeley Hotel

And as if that wasn't enough McQueen for one day (is there such a thing?!), you can also purchase the book to accompany the exhibition. I think this will be my downfall, I really struggle to resist fashion coffee-table books....

www.the-berkeley.co.uk
www.alexandermcqueen.com
www.vam.ac.uk