What was the dress code for the 2011 Met Gala celebrating Alexander McQueen?

The 2011 Met Gala celebrating Alexander McQueen used the dress-code theme Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.

The gala accompanied the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition of the same name. That show explored McQueen’s career through highly structured tailoring, romantic historical references, rebellious materials, and theatrical designs. The gala’s fashion direction therefore centered on interpreting the designer’s distinctive visual language.

McQueen had died the previous year, making the event both a major fashion gathering and a tribute to his legacy. Celebrities and designers used sculptural shapes, dark palettes, lace, embroidery, and dramatic headwear to echo his work.

This answer is the exhibition title rather than a generic instruction such as “wear black.” The Met Gala often derives its dress code from the accompanying Costume Institute exhibition, which is why the official wording can resemble a museum title.