This is a video tribute made by Nick Knight to the amazingly talented genius British fashion designer, Alexander McQueen, who died February 11th 2010 by cause of suicide. The music and lyrics provided in the video are by Bjork, one of McQueen’s dear friends, and an artist who like McQueen is known to push boundaries.
Now let’s take a deep look into this video; this piece of art.
This video was shown at the 2010 British Fashion Awards in December to pay homage to one of the most visionary designers of this generation by awarding him the Outstanding Achievement award. This video is dark, deep and will give anyone shivers. Only black models were used, and the video demonstrates some of McQueen’s most memorable and iconic pieces. The opening sequence with the white dress and pitch black background floating almost looks as though the model is being born. Everything in the video is dark in order to showcase the clothes as the only “light” in the video a very symbolic way of depicting the sadness of his passing by the beauty of his clothes. At around the 2:04 mark in the video you will notice one of the pieces break out into a million different ways as the climax to Bjork’s song and lyrics start to kick in. Bjork says:
“We know, we know, we know it was all worth it. We know OH we know it was all, all for a reason. Let’s elevate. Let’s elevate. Let’s ELEVATE ABOUT NOW. NOW. NOW. NOW. NOW. “
These lyrics and the images seen in the video during these strong statements demonstrate Bjork and Knight’s depiction of McQueen being a sort of higher power, a saviour, with the suggestion of him being resurrected are repeated and chanted over and over.
The video starts off with a birth with the images of the models in white flowing dresses emerging in the middle and a structured dress that emulates that of an angel with wings then rises in. His life and his work are being showcased in different angles and models, the climax of his death shown by the shattering of clothing and the angry faces shown by the models. At 2:28 the model wearing all black feathers starts moving in vast motions suggesting a change and sequence of events. The imagery of blood starts to follow at this point with images of black feathers and red dresses being flashed to show the darkness of his death and the bloodshed. As this continues the images get darker, faster and scarier as Bjork’s voice elevates as she chants. From 3:07 and on, the two images being shown are a model wearing a wreath on her head with long hair and a strapless bondage ivory coloured dress. The other image is that of a red dress draping so fast over a model that it looks as though blood is being splattered on her. The image of the model with the wreath ends the video and it’s obvious to see that this model is suppose to emulate Jesus Christ, as this whole video was suppose to show the power of McQueen and how he was viewed in the fashion world and his “sacrifice” (ie. the red dress supposing to be blood) is why he’s gone. Bjork chants for McQueen to “elevate” back to life, as if it’s inevitable. The single tear drop from the “Jesus” model brings the whole thing to a close and it will leave you speechless!
Sorry for my long rambling. Please feel free to comment! I’d love to hear what you all thought of the video :)
Xo,
Y
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