Unless you’ve had your head buried in the sand/given up Instagram for Lent, you’ll know that there’s an exhibition about Alexander McQueen on at the V&A right now. Now there’s another exhibition about the fashion legend on its way. Located at the Fashion Space Gallery at London College of Fashion, Warpaint: Alexander McQueen and Make-Up will explore the designer’s catwalk make-up, as well as the process and inspiration behind it.
Whether it was bald caps and red contact lenses, bleached eyebrows and prosthetic cheekbones, or paper-white skin and huge glossy sex-doll lips, the make-up at McQueen’s shows was always highly conceptual and highly fantastical – make-up artistry that was, well, art.
“It all came from him, his point of view,” explained internationally renowned make-up artist Val Garland, who worked on many of the designer’s shows. “It had to be absolutely specific, he knew when it was just right, when it came as near as possible to his own vision of the look. There was no right or wrong, just his vision.”
22 make-up looks from 13 collections, created by collaborators including Val, Peter Philips, Topolino and Sharon Dowsett, will be on display, showcased on specially created silicone masks. You’ll also be able to see these looks on your own face thanks to an app called FACE made in partnership with Holition, a London-based digital creative studio. Selfie gold, right?
Warpaint: Alexander McQueen and Make-Up is on view from April 30 – August 7, 2015 at Fashion Space Gallery in London.
Credits
Text Ted Stansfield
Photography Anthea Simms