Lee Alexander McQueen (1969–2010) redefined contemporary fashion with his extraordinary ability to blend exquisite craftsmanship with intimate and imaginative storytelling. Mythologized in his own lifetime, he was characterized as a troubled genius and one of the twentieth century’s most visionary designers. Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous offers a rare glimpse into the life and mind of McQueen and introduces one of the twentieth century’s great, but lesser-known, fashion photographers, Ann Ray (b. 1969). With exclusive, unfettered access to McQueen’s world, Ray captured everything from contemplative moments in the design studio to the organized chaos backstage at runway shows. 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 process.
The exhibition features 65 photographs hand-selected by Ray from her archive of over 32,000 negatives, more than 50 dress objects spanning the entirety of McQueen’s career, 10 gifted garments from Ray’s wardrobe, and various pieces of fashion ephemera, all of which are sourced from one of the world’s largest private collections of McQueen’s works. Both thorough and emotional, the exhibition 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.
Presented in part by
