McQueen at the Barbican
'Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay in Fashion', an exhibition exploring defiance against convention through clothing, at the Barbican, London.
Open until 25th January 2026, the Barbican’s ‘Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay in Fashion’ is a transgressive exploration of dirt and decay as defiance against contemporary beauty standards.
McQueen features prominently among deliberately distressed gowns, faux-stained jeans, mud-splashed and upcycled garments.
The house has long been associated with provocative themes, incorporating powerful narratives driven by nature, tensions and transgression, playing a key role in addressing questions at the heart of the exhibition. Curator Karen Von Godtsenhoven selected three archival Lee Alexander McQueen pieces, each resonating with the core themes of the Barbican’s display.
Autumn Winter 1995 'Highland Rape' Dress
Look 06: a lace dress, displayed in a glass vitrine due to its fragile nature.
Made from low-cost materials bought from local fabric suppliers in Soho, London. Delicate floral lace has been hand-cut and dyed. The bodice is coated in pouring latex from a hardware shop and bound with fishing wire, demonstrating McQueen’s resourcefulness and innovation. The silhouette: torn at the shoulder and upper leg, revealing the body and referencing the visceral nature of the show narrative. Connecting with the ‘Romantic Ruins’ theme of the exhibition, exploring wornness as an aesthetic in fashion.
Spring Summer 2003 'Irere' Dress
Look 20: dress draped in tactile silk creponne, tea-stained to achieve a natural blush hue and finished with distressed raw edges as though weathered by the elements.
Alexander McQueen’s ‘Irere’ collection told the story of a shipwreck survival and transformation, as models appeared washed ashore, with dark eye makeup and tousled hair. The silhouette and structure of the dress is achieved through intricate corsetry, a technique mastered by Lee Alexander McQueen that continues to be used in the house today. Also features in the ‘Romantic Ruins’ theme in the exhibition.
Autumn Winter 2000 'Eshu' Dress
Look 08: Formed from two sections. The bodice is crafted on a tulle base with draped layers of natural and yellow-painted wooden beads. The skirt, created in beige tulle, is treated with the heavy application of a red clay and latex mixture along the hem.
The dress, an exploration of couture craftsmanship combined with visceral textile treatments, presented a challenge for the conservation team when installing the look in the exhibition. For the look to be displayed vertically on the mannequin without causing damage, reinforcements had to be installed to carry the weight of the clay application on the tulle skirt. This was achieved by using discreet magnets, hand-painted to match the clay texture, attaching the fragile skirt to an under structure, offsetting pressure which would otherwise cause damage to such a precious archival piece. Featured in the ‘Nostalgia of Mud’ section of the exhibition.
