Opening October 18 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the exhibition dedicated to the work of 11 world-reknowned stylists - Azzedine Alaïa, Hussein Chalayan, Comme des Garçons, Helmut Lang, Jean Paul Gautier, Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Junya Watanabe, Vivienne Westwood and Yohji Yamamoto. Considered "radicals" for their way of pushing fashion to the limit, they create clothing which challenges the status quo.

"Radical applied to the world of fashion means experimental", summarizes the Turkish-Cypriot designer Hussein Chalayan during an interview with the event's sponsor, the English daily "The Observer".
 
Provocation and fashion? They go hand in hand, according to the British Alexander McQueen, the designer preferred by Björk who last year wore one of his most amazing creations, an outfit with a shocking pink crinoline.

Whether we speak of the British showman or that most reserved of actual designers, so reserved that there exist almost no photographs of him, the Belgian Martin Margiela; whether we speak of the timeless dress collections of the Japanese Issey Miyake or the sculpted creations of Junya Watanabe, a pupil of Commes des Garçons, these radical stylists always end up shaking public opinion and provoking strong reactions.

Until January 6, 2002
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
http://www.observer.co.uk/radicalfashion