Alexander McQueen returned to the London catwalk for the first time in three years on June 3rd 2004, in association with his long-term sponsor AMEX. Marking the fifth year of American Express' coveted 'Black' Centurion card, McQueen staged a lavish, black-themed fashion event to mark the new Black card that he has designed. A stellar audience was treated to an exclusive fashion spectacular, at the heart of which was an ambitious performance that re-staged many of the defining moments of McQueen's legendary fashion collection shows. Iconic McQueen collaborators Michael Clark and Kate Moss were even invited to begin the proceedings in a crowd-pleasing dance duet...
In a singular retrospective experience, SHOWstudio's captivating film edit offers an arresting sequence of highlight footage encompassing landmark McQueen show scenarios including the snow scene and golden shower.
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An interactive version, created in the style of a CCTV monitor bank, will be added to the project on Thursday 1 September. Viewers can view the footage from all possible angles, or determine their own unique view of the event by engaging with editing process through selective use of eight different camera angles.
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SHOWstudio captured and broadcast the proceedings on the night via a live Webcast, transmitted from a unique and unparalleled position on the structure of the catwalk installation itself. Watch the full webcast again as over 2000 images cycle chronologically through the event.
Photographer Ben Dunbar-Brunton took the SHOWstudio backstage and front to document the catwalk extravaganza, the'Black-themed' auction -featuring exhibits donated by creatives including Allen Jones, Tracey Emin, Rei Kawakubo and Christian Aguilera among many others- and the decadent party comprising this memorable fashion occasion.
Creative and Editorial Direction: Paul Hetherington
and Penny Martin
Reportage photography: Ben Dunbar-Brunton
Technical Development: Dorian Moore & Ross Phillips
Motion Image Design: Adam Mufti
Project Design: Paul Bruty
Research: Christabel Stewart
Music: 'Memoria - Sutekh's Trisagion mix' taken from 'Utopia' by Murcof (The Leaf Label)
Thanks: Aimee Witton at Alexander McQueen, Gainsbury and Whiting, Simon Kenny at Souvenir, Tony at The Leaf Label and Fernando Murcof.