Lee Alexander McQueen (1969–2010) redefined contemporary fashion with his extraordinary ability to blend exquisite craftsmanship with imaginative storytelling. Mythologized in his own lifetime, the press promoted him variously as fashion’s enfant terrible (terrible child), a troubled genius, and one of the era’s most visionary designers, yet there were few who truly knew him.
Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous offers a rare glimpse into the life and mind of McQueen and introduces French photographer Ann Ray (b. 1969) to audiences in the United States. With a partnership built on friendship and trust, Ray was provided unfettered access to McQueen’s world and captured everything from contemplative moments in the design studio to models posing backstage. In total, she shot forty-three collections over the course of thirteen years, creating a massive body of work and an indelible record of McQueen’s creative process at his namesake label and during his tenure as creative director at Givenchy.
This exhibition features 65 captivating photographs hand-selected by Ray herself from her archive of over 32,000 negatives and more than 60 dress objects spanning the entirety of McQueen’s career, all of which are sourced from the world’s largest private collection of McQueen’s works. Both thorough and emotional, Rendez-Vous offers the unique opportunity to reevaluate the life and legacy of a beloved but widely misunderstood figure and to disentangle the person from the persona.
Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous is organized and produced by Barrett Barrera Projects.
Exhibition gallery
Alexander McQueen. Glass bead and horsehair midi dress, Eshu collection, autumn/winter 2000. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects. Photo: Barrett Barrera Projects
Alexander McQueen. Rainbow moth print dress, La Dame Bleue collection, spring/summer 2008. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects. Photo: Barrett Barrera Projects
Alexander McQueen. Nude knit and crystal embellished dress, Kaleidoscopic skull print blazer, and kaleidoscopic reptile print dress with beaded hips, Natural Dis-Tinction, Un-Natural Selection collection, spring/summer 2009 and Plato’s Atlantis collection, spring/summer 2010. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects. Photo: Barrett Barrera Projects
Ann Ray. Flesh and Blood, 2008. Archival C-print from original negatives; 15 3/4 x 11 3/4 in. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects
Ann Ray. Wind Tunnel II, 2003. Archival gelatin silver print; 70 3/4 x 47 1/4 in. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects
Ann Ray. Insensé II, 1998. Archival gelatin silver print; 70 3/4 x 47 1/4 in. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects
Exhibition supporters
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