Film Review: ‘McQueen’
The McQueen Tapes
The brilliant, tortured designer Alexander McQueen in documentary delight.
“I bought all my fabrics with my Dole Money”.
McQueen (known to friends and family by his given name, Lee) rose to fame in London of the 1990s, as I had finished art school and was heading into my own career in design, I followed his rise with awe and wonderment.
A fabulous film for fashion lovers, Michael Nyman lovers, and art school graduates – I want to watch it all again – The pressure was immense – he made every headline – with 14 collections a year, Alexander McQueen did the impossible – the fragility of life though. What a watch – with an amazing rousing soundtrack so familiar to me.
His rollercoaster touching relationships, with family, friends and colleagues, are dissected sympathetically, and it’s an emotional watch.
Film footage from the “No.13″ Alexander McQueen show in 1999 where robots spray-painted model Shalom Harlow is a masterpiece from this showman who consistently pushed the boundaries of fashion McQueen once said, “I know I’m provocative. You don’t have to like it, but you have to acknowledge it.”
Shalom Harlow emerged at the end of the show, on a revolving wooden platform wearing a white strapless dress with a tulle underlay. As she twirled slowly, like a delicate ballerina, two robotic industrial sprayers, sprayed her with black, green, and yellow paint, staining her white dress.
Shalom Harlow emerged at the end of the show, on a revolving wooden platform wearing a white strapless dress with a tulle underlay. As she twirled slowly, like a delicate ballerina, two robotic industrial sprayers, sprayed her with black, green, and yellow paint, staining her white dress.
This perhaps inspired costume designers petrastorrs, who went on to create Paloma Faith’s stage costumes for her 2009 Koko performance – where her white dress is hit with powder paint during her performance.
DIY cat cave with old sweater
What a great post Ali! I went to see it a few weeks ago and went from laughter to tears so many times through out, I felt emotionally exhausted at the end. My boyfriend, who does not work in the creatives industries thought it was the best documentary he’d seen in a long long time (and boy does he love a documentary !). I graduated from fashion school very recently in comparison to him so never really know that much about him and his shows while he was doing them. I had absolutely no idea how theatrical they were and having watch the film now appreciate even more how much of a remarkable person he was. I would recommend the film to everyone – I think it touches on so many subjects that are relevant to us all today.
Hi Eleanor, wasn’t it fabulous! That’s so kind of you to stop by and leave this comment – I hope that the film reaches an audience, like you say, that perhaps wouldn’t have been aware of Alexander McQueen. It was incredibly moving wasn’t it…
Going to see ‘Whitney’ next week, I seem to be watching a lot of films about tortured creative souls don’t I? Come with us!