McQueen Savage Beauty at the V&A

The most anticipated show of the year has finally arrived at London's Victoria and Albert Museum and it's a sold-out event for months ahead.
The much admired British designer who has not just influenced the club kid scene, but was also part of it (we met him first at Fiction back in 2001), is celebrated here with a large exhibition of his most notewordy creations, couture and audio-visual media alike. 

The exhibition is the first retrospective of McQueen's work in Europe, and has taken over three of the V&A's galleries with the selection chosen by Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton. Lee's body of work is arranged thematically, with areas focused on different notions of Romanticism – including gothic, primitivism, nationalism and naturalism.
A recording of McQueen's voice is played in the grey-coloured gallery, where examples of his tailoring and early collections are presented alongside footage of his first catwalk show from 1995. From there you enter the catacomb room, with bone-covered walls and mannequins set into alcoves and clothed in extravagant garments made from synthetic hair and feathers. An egg-shape pool above us is revealing a girl swimming inside. A "cabinet of curiosities" occupies a double-height space, with all four walls covered by niches filled with more than 100 garments and accessories – including collaborations with milliner Philip Treacy and jeweller Shaun Leane. In the centre, a dress that was spray-painted live by two robotic arms slowly rotates as the model did during its original '99 presentation. Another highight is the glass pyramid inside which the incredible hologram display of Kate Moss is played in its entirety, the amazing displays of his Voss and Horn Of Plenty collections. It's a walk down memory lane for many of us who remember these eponymous collections. His last collection naturally closes the show and leaves you kind of wanting more, which is meticulously achieved by a surpirse room - the gallery shop. It's full of cards, prints, little objects, accessories, scarves (for £360 plus) and plenty of other stuff, most of which perfectly unnecessary, beautifully arranged and somewhat inviting. It's a treat in which one should only indulge in modesty.

We have an exclusive : 4 tickets for today 7:30pm - a surprise one-off offer available only to 4 of you on first come first serve basis. Inbox for details.

"Isabella Blow : Fashion Galore" soon at Somerset House

                                 image by Steven Meisel

So, it's finally official - "Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!"  is the next big event to add to your diaries peeps. The exhibition has been organized by the Isabella Blow Foundation and Central Saint Martins and will showcase more than 100 pieces from her collection. Curated by Alistair O'Neill and Shonagh Marshall, the show will be organized by theme and will spotlight Blow's aristocratic background; her early relationship with then fashion students  Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy; her massive hat collection; and her love of the British countryside.

                  image by Miguel Reveriego

Daphne Guinness, a longtime friend who purchased Blow's wardrobe after her death in 2007 is the main contributor to the show and described it as a "bittersweet event" for her. Issy, who was an important figure in fashion and nurtured many a new talent, committed suicide at age 48 after years of battling depression. Daphne Guinness was her friend and is also the founder of the Isabella Blow Foundation, which raises money to promote fashion, and to encourage young and aspiring talent. It also funds selected charities that promote mental wellbeing.

"She made our world more vivid, trailing color with every pace she took." - Guinness said. "I do believe that in choosing to exhibit them we've done the right thing — and that it is what she would have wanted. I am doing this in memory of a dear friend, in the hope that her legacy may continue to aid and inspire generations of designers to come."

Among the labels featured in the show, in addition to the obvious McQueen and Treacy, are Jeremy Scott, Julien Macdonald, Viktor & Rolf, Fendi, Escada, Prada, and Marni. Heath has created bespoke Blow mannequins that will wear full outfits once donned by the late fashion stylist and muse.McQueen's entire spring/summer 2008 collection, La Dame Bleue, which the designer and Treacy dedicated to Blow, will also be on show.

The show is to run from end of November this year to March 2014.

David Bowie is... at the V&A

The most exciting exhibition of 2013 will be the David Bowie show at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Titled David Bowie Is this show opens on 23.March and promises unprecedented access to the David Bowie Archive which will be the first international retrospective of the extraordinary career of David Bowie - one of the most pioneering and influential performers of modern times. David Bowie is will explore the creative processes of Bowie as a musical innovator and cultural icon, tracing his shifting style and sustained reinvention across five decades.The V&A’s Theatre and Performance curators, Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh have selected more than 300 objects that will be brought together for the very first time. They include handwritten lyrics, original costumes, fashion, photography, film, music videos, set designs, Bowie’s own instruments and album artwork.The exhibition will explore the broad range of Bowie’s collaborations with artists and designers in the fields of fashion, sound, graphics, theatre, art and film. On display will be more than 300 objects including Ziggy Stardust bodysuits (1972) designed by Freddie Burretti, photography by Brian Duffy; album sleeve artwork by Guy Peellaert and Edward Bell; visual excerpts from films and live performances including The Man Who Fell to Earth, music videos such as Boys Keep Swinging and set designs created for the Diamond Dogs tour (1974). Alongside these will be more personal items such as never-before-seen storyboards, handwritten set lists and lyrics as well as some of Bowie’s own sketches, musical scores and diary entries, revealing the evolution of his creative ideas.

This is probably the most highly anticipated show of 2013 and will co-inside with the release of Bowie's new album "The Next Day" - the first in about 10 years. Earlier this month he released the first single Where Are We Now which was received with great praise by fans and critics alike.

Early bird tickets for the exhibition are available HERE

Sources: V&A,  Photograph by Brian Duffy © Duffy Archive