LACMA Costume Council Presents "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" With Curator Andrew Bolton

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On Wednesday, hundreds of L.A.'s fashion elite, as well as NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, descended on LACMA for a very momentous celebration of fashion as art. It was all for the exclusive one-time L.A. presentation of the Met's sold-out exhibition Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, a retrospective of the late designer's prolific 19-year career, followed by a festive courtyard luncheon.

Organized by LACMA's esteemed Costume Council, L.A. got the rare opportunity to not only experience Savage Beauty on the West Coast, but also a deeper, more intimate look at the exhibition through the perspective of its curator, Andrew Bolton, who flew out to L.A. specially for the occasion. At Wednesday's event, Bolton gave over 550 Costume Council members and guests a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibition which covers the entirety of McQueen's prolific design career, from his 1992 post-graduate collection to his last posthumous runway presentation in 2010. Guests eagerly took their seats in the auditorium for Savage Beauty's only time in Los Angeles, followed by an elegant luncheon catered by Patina in LACMA's Times Mirror Court Plaza hosted by Bolton. Chair of Communications on LACMA’s Costume Council Board of Directors, Elizabeth Matthews describes the event:

"The response to the program was overwhelming. We had a sold-out presentation and festive luncheon for more than 550 Costume Council members and invited guests, with 20 media outlets in attendance – all supporting our mission to expand public awareness of fashion, design, costume and textiles as art."

The local industry executives, designers, stylists and personalities who made up the day's guests in attendance included Brianna Kenyon, Elizabeth Matthews, Charles Phoenix, Sharon Takeda, Pernilla Nylander, Louise Coffey-Webb, Lisa Berman, Dori Schneider, Joni Smith, Linda Lay, Courtney Nichols, Dustin Buss, Linda Kahn, Carolyn Wagner, Susan Rothenberg, Shirley Freis, Roberto Sancedo, Judy Chang, Ari Sheuhmelian, Esther Ginsberg, Ellen Levy-Sarnoff, Allison Parson, Bobbe Bramson, Dani Lancer, Robin Blake, Cheryl Van Tassel, Kevan Hall, Leanna Lewis, Jae Joseph, Lauren Lapire, Louise Green, Zoe Poore, Megan Adams, Liz Radler, Barbara Alpert, Kathy Miller, Christi Wohl, Jasmine Manesh, Sarah Gallop, Daniel Pereira, Amanda Jungman, Galina Sobolev, Asya Gorovets, John Barley, Ali Rahimi, Michele Bernard, Stuart Moulton, Kevan Hall, Susan Claassen, James Blair Suan Eke, Karen Lee, Patricia Moore, Lori Brucker, Cindy Fields, Kaye Spilker, and Lalena Vellanoweth.

Matthews further expressed her gratitude on behalf of the Costume Council, adding that it is, "proud to be the organization in Los Angeles to showcase this type of distinctive, revealing, behind-the-scenes fashion and style programming." Hats off to the Costume Council for making this one-time intimate look at McQueen's genius as exhibited in Savage Beauty and wonderful celebration of fashion and costumes as fine art possible for Los Angeles.

Andrew Bolton, Jae Joseph, Leanna Lewis, Kevan Hall

Joni Smith, Andrew Bolton, Carolyn Wagner, Andrew Bolton, Leanna Lewis

Lisa Berman, Brianna Kenyon

Elizabeth Matthews, Judy Chang, Andrew Bolton, Ari Sheuhmelian, Elizabeth Matthews, Toni Yamin

John Barley, Ali Rahimi, Michele Bernard, Louise Green, Allison Parson

Kaye Spilker, Lauren Lepire