{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1775165"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1775165/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PN7789/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PN7789/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2026PN7789","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX8548","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX8552","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX8553","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX8549","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX8550","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX8551","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX8547","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1775165","accessionNumber":"S.400-2024","objectType":"Frockcoat","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Frockcoat designed by Alexander McQueen and worn by David Bowie on the <i>Earthling</i> live tour, 1997. A deep blue velvet three-quarter lenth frockcoat, with long sleeves and high neck. The sleeves have slits up the inner arm. The coat has a grey silk lining with thin black diagonal stripes and small black dots. The velvet has distressed grey and silver metallic lace and mesh across it in an appliqué style. The bottom of the coat is flared. There are small blue plastic diamonté gem stones stuck to the lace and mesh.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Alexander McQueen","id":"A4817"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"lace","id":"AAT132861"},{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"},{"text":"velvet","id":"AAT133711"},{"text":"mesh","id":"AAT14654"},{"text":"silk","id":"AAT243428"},{"text":"plastic","id":"AAT14570"}],"techniques":[{"text":"machine sewing","id":"AAT257463"},{"text":"hand sewing","id":"AAT257459"},{"text":"appliqueing","id":"AAT53646"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Machine-sewn and hand sewn velvet, with silk lining and appliqué lace and mesh","categories":[{"text":"David Bowie Archive","id":"THES394093"},{"text":"Entertainment and leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2026PN7789","2024NX8548","2024NX8552","2024NX8553","2024NX8549","2024NX8550","2024NX8551","2024NX8547"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"011","id":"THES310141"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Costume","id":"AAT209261"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1997","earliest":"1997-01-01","latest":"1997-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchase funded by the V&A Americas Foundation through the generosity of the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"121.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"49","unit":"cm","qualifier":"Shoulder to shoulder","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"68","unit":"cm","qualifier":"Sleeve","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"ALEXANDER MCQUEEN","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Embroidered on cotton label on inside of neckline"}],"objectHistory":"This frock coat was custom-made for Bowie by Alexander McQueen in 1997, a then relatively unknown London design working out of a studio in Hoxton Square. Bowie had read about McQueen’s work in the British press and was keen to commission him to work on his costumes for his upcoming summer festival tour to promote the album <i>1. Outside</i>. Bowie allegedly called McQueen directly, who answered the phone and, unphased by Bowie’s celebrity, pretended to be an assistant working in McQueen’s studio, afterwards telling close friend Simon Ungless that Bowie ‘wants me to do tour costumes or something’. McQueen was an admirer of Bowie’s style, and agreed to take on the commission. He was sent Bowie’s measurements over the phone and created a number of frock coats for Bowie to wear on stage in 1996, later going on to make further frock coats for the <i>Earthling</i> live tour in 1997.\n\nThis coat was possibly worn for the 'Little Wonder' music video.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Frockcoat designed by Alexander McQueen and worn by David Bowie on the <i>Earthling</i> live tour, 1997","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Nicholas Pegg, <i>The Complete David Bowie</i> (Great Britain, 2016)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Dana Thomas, 'David Bowie, Alexander McQueen, and the Making of That Iconic 90s-Era Union Jack Coat', <i>Vanity Fair</i>, 11 January 2016"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"Concert tour: The Earthling Tour (7 Jun - 7 Nov 1997)","id":"AUTH401691"}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.400-2024"],"accessionNumberNum":"400","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2024,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"David Bowie Archive Number","id":"THES394108"},"number":"1997.2012.0014"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-30","recordCreationDate":"2024-03-19","availableToBook":false}}