unseen photographs by Kent Baker to go on show in The Gallery at Foyles
An intimate photographic portrait of McQueen’s seminal show ‘Dante’, Autumn/Winter 1996/97 Curated by Olly Walker & Futurecity
©Kent Baker
A collection of previously unseen, backstage photographs from Alexander McQueen’s seminal show ‘Dante’, are to be displayed for the first time at the Gallery at Foyles from 20 March – 3 May 2015. The striking images are taken from Kent Baker’s new book, ‘Inferno: Alexander McQueen’, published on 30 March 2015 by Laurence King Publishing.
Iconic British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was a recent Central St Martin’s graduate when in 1996 he showcased an early collection ‘Dante’ at Nicholas Hawksmoor’s architectural masterpiece Christchurch in Spitalfields. The audience was treated to an evening of theatrical spectacle. Photographer Kent Baker, a member of McQueen’s intimate circle of friends, was in a unique position to capture a singular moment: the emergence of a radical and visionary force in contemporary fashion.
Shot entirely on film, Baker’s on-the-fly backstage photographs echo reportage photography whilst perfectly capturing the excitement and baroque theatre of the evening. At the centre is Alexander McQueen, directing proceedings, at his side Kent Baker quietly recording a portrait of the surprisingly intimate friendships and interdependent creative relationships, which together shaped a sublimely unforgettable moment in British fashion history.