Inspiration Throwback!

As a creative professional, I believe that inspiration can come from anywhere, at any time and from any thing. There are many times that I look at the work of other creatives and I feel inspired...but not too often that I view work and think that it is creative 'genius'.

Alexander McQueen's catwalk show of Spring 1999 was one such moment that a sense of this 'genius' hit me, stayed with me, and has been a source of inspiration for some of my event designs (in terms of approach) that I have designed or creatively directed. The creative approach to this show proved that catwalk (runway) shows can indeed be classed as performance art: powerful statements packaged under the guise of couture, and not just a review of the latest seasons' collection. 

Using model Shalom Harlow, stood on a central rotating revolve with her feet strapped to the floor...we see a woman desperately restrained..unable to move...about to be subjected to the effects of the brutal world of fashion design...all set to a dramatic operatic soundscape. Two lifeless car spraying robots then sprang to life, moving in a choreographed, sinister way...hunting down their prey...skillfully spraying the blank canvas white dress with black and yellow paints. Fashion created 'live'.

This incredible spectacle conjured up so many metaphors : the idea of the snake charmed machines dancing in a hypnotic state around their prey, the clean and then tarnished ballerina in her music box desecrated by the power of fashion, political connotations are many (but I won't go there!) and so on...In short....powerful, choreographed, visual statements aimed at evoking emotions rather than just highlighting the couture itself.

In stark contrast to some of the more elaborate (and incredibly visual) catwalk shows of Dior or Chanel, where the focal point has been grand venues and amazing sets, the environment for McQueen's show was effectively a black box with a humble wooden floorboard style floor...nothing to detract from the visual spectacle in front of the audience. Less is more.

This one event, was a stroke of creative genius...from a man who understood not only the aesthetics of fashion design, but the 'theatre' of fashion design and it's presentation to the public. With this show, McQueen set a bold precedent, one that will go down in fashion history as one of the most evocative catwalk shows of the modern era.

This great video shown is from Couture Daily and shows the excerpt from the Alexander McQueen Spring / Summer Collection 1999.

Sharing inspirational creative sources can benefit us in ways we sometimes do not realise. Let us know what inspires your creativity!

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