"Armadillo"
For his 2010 show titled “Plato’s Atlantis,” Alexander McQueen imagined a world in which the seas had risen and humankind was evolving to survive underwater. The collection features fantastical designs that suggest the morphing of our bodies into human-animal hybrids. These signature boots represent a hooflike extension of the wearer’s body and also evoke the graceful arch of a ballerina standing en pointe. Not intended to be commercially produced, the boots were nevertheless designed and crafted with precision. The hand-carved wood platforms provide a base for the ball of the foot, and an additional wooden support built out above the toe facilitates the lifting of the heavy footwear while walking.
Artwork Details
- Title: "Armadillo"
- Design House: Alexander McQueen (British, founded 1992)
- Designer: Alexander McQueen (British, 1969–2010)
- Date: spring/summer 2010
- Culture: British
- Medium: snakeskin, leather metal, wood, synthetic
- Credit Line: Alfred Z. Solomon-Janet A. Sloane Endowment Fund, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.180a, b
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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Alexander McQueen
fall/winter 2006–7
Alexander McQueen
fall/winter 1998–99
Multiple artists/makers
spring/summer 1998
Alexander McQueen
fall/winter 1998–99
Multiple artists/makers
fall/winter 1996–97
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