Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

I feel as though I don't need to tell you to go and see this exhibition, because hopefully you booked tickets the moment they went on sale last year like I did, but if you haven't, I suggest doing so because it's the best money I've spent on an exhibition - although the Jean Paul Gaultier one at the Barbican last year does come pretty close!

Lee Alexander McQueen is notorious for his daring, eccentric and what seems to be unwearable designs. Known for his strong friendship with the woman who discovered him, Isabella Blow, to becoming Lady Gaga's go-to designer, McQueen was a London-born designer whom won the hearts of the fashion industry with his unique flair and vision for what he wanted to achieve as a designer and believed the industry was lacking.

Running from March through to August, the Savage Beauty exhibition was bound to be a hit, and this was proven by the enormity of ticket sales almost instantly from the time they were released. The V&A claimed it was the 'first and largest' McQueen exhibition in Europe and so hundreds and thousands of people would be sure to stop by and see it.

What I loved about the exhibition, was not only being able to marvel the garments in extremely close proximity, but to see them placed and laid out in a way which was truly striking. You could tell the curators of the exhibition had spent plenty of time planning and designing the interior for the exhibition, and this really came across in my experience of it. Each room was themed and featured various garments from different McQueen catwalk shows over the years, including the likes of 'Highland Rape', 'It's a Jungle out there' and 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' plus many more.

McQueen was known for his passion for birds and his use of feathers was a key material used in each show. Other interesting fabrics and fibres used were synthetic hair, pony hair and even crocodile heads as shoulder pads - bizarre is an understatement. All of which were shown on display in the 'It's a Jungle out there' section of the exhibition.

Auditory and Visual stimuli were also key components throughout the exhibition, especially so in the main, penultimate room where a mass of clothes, shoes and head-wear of McQueen's was on display in a cubic layout. I honestly must have spent ages in this room as you could just sit and admire the work of McQueen up and down the walls as well as watch iconic fashion shows displayed on screens throughout the room.

Before the ending there was another room which members of the public could view from two sides. In the middle of the room was a recreation of the Kate Moss hologram which once appeared in a McQueen show, showing the supermodel to appears from an orb and then returning to it after a couple of minutes.

McQueen's dramatic aesthetic was present throughout the whole exhibition and it was obvious that the V&A were trying to make a statement about the late-designer. The amount of effort and thought put into the exhibition, as well as the vast array of different garments, shoes and head-wear on display was simply delightful. Not only did I feel the buzz of the atmosphere when walking around the exhibition, but I felt liberated as I walked out knowing I had been so close to the work of quite simply, a genius. Some of the garments weren't even contained in cabinets and so you really good get a close look at the detailing of the pieces and admire the work gone into them.

Overall, the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition is by far one of the biggest and best fashion exhibitions to hit the UK. It is, without a doubt, a must-see for anyone even remotely interested in fashion. The presentation and variety of garments on display was incredible and the music helped to create an authentic atmosphere to suit the mood of the garments. I'm glad that this exhibition has allowed the nation to appreciate and be reminded of the work and skill of the legend that is Alexander McQueen.