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Evening Dress Front View

Alexander McQueen

FIDM MUSEUM & GALLERIES

FIDM MUSEUM & GALLERIES
Los Angeles, United States

Titled "The Girl Who Lived in a Tree," Alexander McQueen's Fall/Winter 2008-9 collection was dedicated to Britannia, the symbolic representation of the British Empire. Themes related to British history were a McQueen favorite; the 1995 Highland Rape collection is perhaps his most notorious exploration into British history. "The Girl Who Lived in a Tree" collection was conceptualized after McQueen had taken an extended trip to India. His vision for the collection was fueled by "images of Queen Victoria, the Duke of Wellington, and the Indian Empire."* The focal points of this dress are the two appliqued lace peacocks on the front and back. Native to India and symbolic of war and royalty, these imperial birds recall Queen Victoria (1819-1901), who was crowned Empress of India in 1876 at the height of British Colonialism. The black feathers over a froth of cream tulle evoke a mourning palette; the same as Victoria's self-imposed dress code after the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert in 1861. Moving into the twentieth century, the strapless bodice and full skirt are reminders of Christian Dior's post World War II New Look silhouette, which was popular at the time of the present queen's coronation in 1953.

* Mower, Sarah. Review of Alexander McQueen runway presentation. Style.com. Feb. 29, 2009.

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  • Title: Evening Dress Front View
  • Creator: Alexander McQueen
  • Date Created: 2008/2009
  • Location Created: London, England
  • Physical Dimensions: CB: 102"
  • Provenance: FIDM Museum Commission: Funds provided by Karen Coombs-Jordan. Commissioned in 2010
  • Type: Dress
  • Rights: © FIDM Museum & Library, Inc. Image made available for limited non-commercial, educational, and personal use only, or for fair use as defined in the United States copyright laws. Users must cite the author and source of the image as they would material from any printed work, and the citations should include the URL “www.fidmmuseum.org”. For publication or press requests, visit http://www.fidmmuseum.org/about/rights-and-reproductions/ or email imagerights@FIDMmuseum.org.
  • Medium: Silk organza, silk tulle & silk lace
FIDM MUSEUM & GALLERIES

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