Great fashion design is equal in status to any form of artistic expression. That is the premise of an exhibition celebrating the designs of the late Alexander McQueen that opens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in May.
A preview of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty has been unveiled at the Ritz by the twin fashion forces of Anna Wintour and Samantha Cameron, against the backdrop of London fashion week.
Thomas Campbell, the director of the Met, and Andrew Bolton, curator of its Costume Institute, praised the artistry of McQueen's work. "His work fits so easily within the discourse of art," said Campbell. "He can be considered no less than an artist whose medium of expression was fashion."
Bolton said: "His fashions were an outlet for his emotions, an expression of the deepest, often darkest, aspects of his imagination. He was a true romantic in the Byronic sense of the word – he channelled the sublime."
The exhibition will be arranged thematically rather than chronologically and will feature over 100 examples of work from the designer's 19-year career, from his 1994 Nihilism collection to his posthumous Angels & Demons collection shown last year.
It will begin with a gallery entitled The Savage Mind, which will examine his subversion of traditional tailoring, while other rooms will focus on his recurring fascination with Romantic literary traditions such as death, decay and darkness.
Other highlights will include the McQueen tartan from his Highland Rape collection and a mini projection of the infamous Kate Moss dancing hologram, which debuted after the model's cocaine scandal in 2006.
Stella McCartney, whose career has run almost in parallel to that of McQueen, and who will co-chair the exhibition, was at the launch. Sarah Burton, who worked alongside McQueen for 14 years and is now creative director at the label, was also present.
McQueen was found dead in his central London flat on February 11 last year. He had hanged himself. An inquest at the time found that he was struggling with depression and the death of his mother and the coroner ruled that he had "killed himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed..
The organisers of the exhibition said its swift timing enhanced its integrity. "Memories are so fresh," explained Bolton, who also noted that the archive was intact.
Campbell explained the location – the Ritz hotel was where McQueen first showed a rail of his creations to the press in a 1993 collection called Taxi Driver.
Cameron said she was "thrilled by this recognition of British fashion". The exhibition will runs from 4 May to 31 July with a gala launch on 2 May. "I'm sure that the party will be a very, very special night," she added.
London's hottest stars
Mary Katrantzou delivered a standout collection at London fashion week. The Greek-born designer showed a sculpted, couture-like silhouette with hyper-real prints of stunning interiors, pictured below. Last season she did lampshades and stately homes; this season it was shapes and prints that recalled Ming dynasty vases.
Marios Schwab's collection mixed sleek leather and wool dresses with brogue and buckle detailing and was much praised. He used pearl necklaces as part of his dresses' construction rather than as accessories.
Louise Gray's bonkers mix of dots, stripes, prints and checks demonstrated London at its playful best. Other designers being name-checked as ones to watch included Michael van der Ham and Christopher Raeburn. Van der Ham showed jewel-coloured crushed velvet dresses in his trademark luxe-patchwork. And Raeburn's pop-out parkas – two jackets cut to be worn together or separately – won a legion of industry admirers.
