FKA twigs in McQueen, Free as a Bird

Last night London’s Victoria & Albert Museum opened “Savage Beauty,” a tribute to the work of renegade fashion designer Alexander McQueen, and the British fashion celebrities were out in droves. Kate Moss, Princess Beatrice, Naomi Campbell, Poppy Delavingne, each in lovely elaborate McQueen ensembles, paying homage to the G.

But if anyone embodied the spirit of the exhibit—and McQueen’s fundamental MO, in general—it was FKA twigs, lovely and perfect as a South American scarlet macaw in McQueen’s Spring 2008 showstopper chiffon gown, first shown in Paris in a feathery collection he made in memory of his late mentor, Isabella Blow. Twigs performed later in the evening, probably the best musician out there to do so; you can imagine the late McQueen appreciating her raw creativity and hunger for experimentation. Take it all in:

Also from McQueen’s Spring 2008 show: this lovely peacock dress, worn beautifully by Salma Hayek.

Now feel free to be contact-embarrassed for the paparazzi that brought you these photographs, as they jostle and yell at each other for twigs’ attention. Whatever, we’re all enamored by this dress. Plus, in the video, you can see how it moves: effortlessly, a wispy cloud of delicate butterfly-rainbows circling around her.