“Sorry, I had my hands around a mannequin.”

We catch Danielle Whitfield, the NGV’s curator of fashion and textiles, well and truly on the tools when calling to chat about the gallery’s upcoming summer blockbuster.

She’s one of the part local, part international team painstakingly piecing together Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse, a major Australian-exclusive retrospective of the late British fashion designer opening at NGV International on December 11.

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Curated in tandem with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), it will unite two rich collections of the legendary, subversive designer’s works, showcasing more than 110 garments in total. They’re being unboxed as we speak.

“At first you look at these pieces as just photographs on a Powerpoint presentation, and now they’re here,” says Whitfield. Sixty garments and accessories have come direct from LA to be vigilantly unpacked, condition-reported and fitted to a mannequin by skilled costume technicians. They must determine how the padded under-structure will sit, what posture the garment will be displayed in – “so you get those perfect lines McQueen was known for”, Whitfield says, and so as not to strain or compromise the fabric.

The NGV and LACMA’s respective holdings are “very similar in size and scale”, says Whitfield, and together they make for an incredibly comprehensive look at the evolution of McQueen, who was among the most influential designers of the late 20th century.

“McQueen produced 36 collections, and more than 31 are represented in this exhibition,” says Whitfield. “We’ve got some really great early works from his third, fourth, fifth collections from the [mid ’90s].” All of which slot into – and extrapolate on – the thematic structure of the original LACMA exhibition, which closed in October.

One highlight will be a display of 12 works from McQueen’s autumn/winter 2006–2007 collection The Widows of Culloden, which delves into his ancestry and Scottish history with tweeds, tartans and elegant ballgowns. While not every garment is on display, “That’s a really big deal – to have nearly half the collection in one spot,” says Whitfield. “It’s the closest you’ll get to seeing the actual [runway] show.”

Pieces from his dichotomous autumn/winter 2010–2011 collection, Angels and Demons, will be on show in a high-gloss black room “that’s like stepping into a chapel”, Whitfield says. The flames of hell and the clouds of heaven will be projected onto the ceiling, dividing the room in half and creating a pseudo-religious experience.

The designer found inspiration in darkness, often crafting Roman Gothic and Victorian-inspired garments based on violence, sex and – particularly towards the end – death. His work commanded attention and placed McQueen in a league of his own.

To put his work in context, the exhibition will also feature 70 historical artworks – paintings, sculptures and photographs – speaking to what influenced McQueen.

Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse runs from December 11 to April 16, 2023, at NGV International. Admission fees apply.

ngv.vic.gov.au