It’s the last week of the “Savage Beauty” exhibit on Alexander McQueen at the Met, and I’m absolutely beside myself about missing it. For those of you in NYC, I really hope you’ve all been able to go…and don’t tell me how amazing it was, I’m already jealous enough.

For the rest of us, I’ve found a little something that’s much less expensive than a trip to Manhattan, but will still give you an indelible impression of the exhibit. For $45 (less if you’re a member), you can pick up the Met’s catalogue of the exhibit from their online gift shop, and it’s utterly beautiful. It’s an oversized, hardbound catalogue of such style and substance that it bears almost no resemblance to typical museum exhibit memorabilia. It’s brimming with images of nearly every look in the exhibit, as well as images of the rooms and displays, and commentary by the curator, Andrew Bolton. The cover, a hologram of McQueen’s face, imposed over a metallic skull, is a perfect reminder of the 3D Kate Moss hologram in the exhibit (see the Widows of Culloden video here for a closer look).

Stunning, isn’t it? If you’re at all interested in the history of fashion (as I obviously am), this is a tome you’ll want on your shelf. Moreover, I’m guessing the publisher won’t be reprinting this once the exhibit’s over, so it’s worth buying now while you can.

---