It was hard to choose just one piece from this year’s magnificent Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous exhibition at the Frist Art Museum, but the red-and-black petal-sleeved gown from McQueen’s 2009 Horn of Plenty collection was over-the-top amazing. The material is made from woven feathers, but on first glance the mirror-symmetrical dress looks like it’s made from butterfly wings that have been plucked off and rearranged — it’s both romantic and sinister. The dress was installed next to Ann Ray’s black-and-white photos from the runway show, so the models’ Leigh Bowery-esque exaggerated lipstick gave just the right context.
