Behind-the-Scenes Photos of Alexander McQueen's Last Runway Show

Controversial and widely acclaimed British designer Alexander McQueen commissioned art photographer Nick Waplington to shoot his “Horn of Plenty” runway show. Unfortunately, this 2009 fall/winter collection was to be the last that McQueen would stage before his suicide a year later. The exhilarating show was a wrap-up of the designer’s past 15 years of work, integrating previous motifs, silhouettes, fabrics to early jewelry pieces to props, all into one final collection, which was dedicated to his mother. Waplington was given unprecedented access to photograph McQueen behind-the-scenes at work, to capture the creation of the collection, from sketches to fittings to the final runway show. The images encapsulates McQueen’s moments of joy, grief, and strife during the intense and theatrical working process, acting nearly as much as a director as designer with his collaborative and hands-on approach. Take a look at the photos above in the meanwhile and look out for the ”Nick Waplington/Alexander McQueen: Working Process” exhibition London’s Tate Modern from March 10 to May 17, 2015. Furthermore, a hard copy of the Alexander McQueen: Working Process, Photographs by Nick Waplington is available now from Damiani Press for $60 USD.