Alexander McQueen’s Latest Exhibition Is Free Of Charge And Breathtakingly Beautiful

When Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty arrived in London's V&A museum, having initially wowed crowds at the Met in New York, tickets sold out almost as quickly as they had gone on sale. This attested to the longevity of McQueen's influence; the brand was originally the product of Alexander 'Lee' McQueen's dark, seemingly unending exploration of beauty and what that means. Lee's death in 2010 hit the fashion industry, and indeed the world, in a major way, as it struggled to come to terms with the loss of such an overwhelming talent. Now, the brand is in the very capable hands of Sarah Burton, whose skill, meticulous attention to detail and dedication to the DNA of the McQueen brand is very evident in Roses, a new exhibition in the label's Old Bond Street store in London.

Actually, to call Roses an exhibition is slightly misleading. It is, in many ways, an extension of Burton's commitment to nurturing new talent, inspiring the next generation of designers and encouraging a growing sense of community in an educational space. Situated on the top floor of the Mcqueen store, visitors have the opportunity to see a mixture of McQueen creations – pieces from the most recent shows alongside dresses from the archive, all labelled to clearly explain the incredible composition of each design. It's only this close proximity that really allows full understanding of McQueen's clothes – how Burton, and Lee McQueen before her, turned a beautiful dream into something tangible.

One of the most spectacular pieces is the red Rose dress, which was the finale of the AW19 show. Made from a single piece of material, the dress is a breathtaking example of the skill to be found in the McQueen atelier – something that is on display in a short video on display, showing Judy Halil, Head of Atelier at McQueen, giving a steo-by-step demonstration of making the dress, one miraculous drape at a time.

This sits almost beside the Sarabande dress, the show-stopping finale of the SS07 show. Minutes before the model emerged onto the catwalk, McQueen himself removed a tulle overlay from the dress, which was made entirely of fresh flowers. The result was a trail of blooms left in the wake of the model, which had people gasping, applauding furiously and even crying. It has been painstakingly restored several times, using artificial petals that aren't too bright or 'new' looking. The result makes the dress seem like a living organism, ageing over time like any wild flower.

The focus is not just on the clothes, however. A studio cutting table boasts samples of work-in-progress and background research materials, welcoming students to engage with them. Practical masterclasses and presentations for students are also taking place, with Burton herself showing one group of prospective young designers how to achieve the incredible draping effect that forms the basis of the Rose dress.

Burton is building something very special indeed at McQueen. It's not simply about the clothes (which are really works of art in their own right), it's also about a community. She established the space at the Bond Street store in January of this year, intending to 'open up in-depth perspectives on the thinking, research and expertise which bring alive the links between the archive and the unique working processes of the house.'

'Everything I do is connected to nature in one way or another,' reads a quote from Lee McQueen, situated at the entrance to the Roses exhibition. The beauty of it all is truly breathtaking, but so is the sense of inclusion, generosity and care that is clearly stemming from Burton. McQueen is evolving, just like nature itself.

Roses is located at the Alexander McQueen store on Old Bond Street in London for the next six months.

SEE: Inside The Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty Exhibition