+32
On display
V&A East Storehouse
- Storage Displays, Level 2
This object consists of 8 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.
Costume
1987 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
'Fallen Rock Angel' costume designed by Diana Moseley for David Bowie, for the Glass Spider tour, 1987.
Part 1: Jacket:
Bright light gold metallic cropped imitation- leather bomber jacket. Turned up sleeves and collar, wide lapel. Geometric shaped fringing along the outside of sleeves. Lined with satin.
Part 2: Trousers
Dark gold, distressed, metallic leather trousers, slim fit. Gathered at the inner hem along the legs. Built-in gold leather belt with silver clasp. Shaped waistband with V-shape cutouts. Diagonal seams cross the trousers along the legs and from the hips to crotch. Dark yellow cotton thread it used for stitching, and dark yellow fabric along the zip fly. The trousers are lined with suede.
Part 3-4: Boots
One pair of matte gold cowboy boots with Cuban heel and pointed toe. Mock crocodile skin effect on instep and toes, and patterned embroidery stitching on the side welts.
Parts 5-6: Wings
Wings made of resin coated in gold metallic plastic sheeting. Made up of hinged slats connected with screws and spring. Middle of wings has a plywood and resin panel with a padded section where they can be worn on the back – this is covered in pinned gold fabric. Gold imitation leather straps connect outer slats of wings. Top of wings have metal pulley system attached.
Parts 7-8: Tops
Two long sleeved, dark gold metallic lurex tops. They are made of sparkly Lurex, and are loose fit. One of the tops (part no. 7) has additional darker black and gold metallic patches handsewn onto the shoulders in rough geometric shapes, and turned up sleeves.
Part 1: Jacket:
Bright light gold metallic cropped imitation- leather bomber jacket. Turned up sleeves and collar, wide lapel. Geometric shaped fringing along the outside of sleeves. Lined with satin.
Part 2: Trousers
Dark gold, distressed, metallic leather trousers, slim fit. Gathered at the inner hem along the legs. Built-in gold leather belt with silver clasp. Shaped waistband with V-shape cutouts. Diagonal seams cross the trousers along the legs and from the hips to crotch. Dark yellow cotton thread it used for stitching, and dark yellow fabric along the zip fly. The trousers are lined with suede.
Part 3-4: Boots
One pair of matte gold cowboy boots with Cuban heel and pointed toe. Mock crocodile skin effect on instep and toes, and patterned embroidery stitching on the side welts.
Parts 5-6: Wings
Wings made of resin coated in gold metallic plastic sheeting. Made up of hinged slats connected with screws and spring. Middle of wings has a plywood and resin panel with a padded section where they can be worn on the back – this is covered in pinned gold fabric. Gold imitation leather straps connect outer slats of wings. Top of wings have metal pulley system attached.
Parts 7-8: Tops
Two long sleeved, dark gold metallic lurex tops. They are made of sparkly Lurex, and are loose fit. One of the tops (part no. 7) has additional darker black and gold metallic patches handsewn onto the shoulders in rough geometric shapes, and turned up sleeves.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 8 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | <b>Part 1: Jacket</b>
Machine stitched imitation leather with satin lining.
<b>Part 2: Trousers</b>
Machine stitched leather/suede with metal zip and buckle.
<b>Parts 3-4: Shoes</b>
Leather with hand and machine stitching, and wooden soles
<b>Parts 5-6: Wings</b>
Resin coated metallic plastic sheeting, with plywood, leather, metal and synthetic fabric.
<b>Parts 7-8: Tops</b>
Machine sewn and hand sewn lame. |
| Brief description | 'Fallen Rock Angel' costume designed by Diana Moseley for David Bowie, for the Glass Spider tour, 1987 |
| Physical description | 'Fallen Rock Angel' costume designed by Diana Moseley for David Bowie, for the Glass Spider tour, 1987. Part 1: Jacket: Bright light gold metallic cropped imitation- leather bomber jacket. Turned up sleeves and collar, wide lapel. Geometric shaped fringing along the outside of sleeves. Lined with satin. Part 2: Trousers Dark gold, distressed, metallic leather trousers, slim fit. Gathered at the inner hem along the legs. Built-in gold leather belt with silver clasp. Shaped waistband with V-shape cutouts. Diagonal seams cross the trousers along the legs and from the hips to crotch. Dark yellow cotton thread it used for stitching, and dark yellow fabric along the zip fly. The trousers are lined with suede. Part 3-4: Boots One pair of matte gold cowboy boots with Cuban heel and pointed toe. Mock crocodile skin effect on instep and toes, and patterned embroidery stitching on the side welts. Parts 5-6: Wings Wings made of resin coated in gold metallic plastic sheeting. Made up of hinged slats connected with screws and spring. Middle of wings has a plywood and resin panel with a padded section where they can be worn on the back – this is covered in pinned gold fabric. Gold imitation leather straps connect outer slats of wings. Top of wings have metal pulley system attached. Parts 7-8: Tops Two long sleeved, dark gold metallic lurex tops. They are made of sparkly Lurex, and are loose fit. One of the tops (part no. 7) has additional darker black and gold metallic patches handsewn onto the shoulders in rough geometric shapes, and turned up sleeves. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | Purchase funded by the V&A Americas Foundation through the generosity of the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group |
| Object history | This costume is referred to as the 'Fallen Rock Angel' by designer Diana Moseley. In encore of the Glass Spider show, Bowie would appear at the top of the spider's head on the roof of the stage in this costume, performing the song 'Time' while suspended 60 feet in the air with arms outstretched. Nicholas Pegg writes that this was a '...meticulous recreation of "The Hanged Man" of the Tarot, his outstretched arms and crossed-leg posture hailing specifically from the 1942 Thoth Tarot deck designed by none other than Aleister Crowley.' Moseley and Bowie discussed the costume as an expression of the idea of disrupting or dismantling the objectified, deified status that Bowie had reached by the late 1980s. As well as references to traditional angelic symbols, there are also references to the mythical messenger and divine trickster Hermes. The costume, while bright gold, has distressed and dismantled elements. The jagged shapes extending from the sleeves of the jacket mimic broken angelic wings. The leather trousers were hand-painted by Diana Moseley and purposefully distressed, inspired by early Grunge looks. The gold lamé tops were intended to be fluid and reflect movement well on stage, unlike a more restrictive shirt, but with added patchworked elements for a more raw effect. The gold wings originally were designed with a mechanism to be extended and retracted; however this was judged to be too dangerous to ultimately use on stage. |
| Associations | |
| Associated objects |
|
| Other number | 1987.2008.0014 - David Bowie Archive Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.315:1 to 6-2024 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | March 19, 2024 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
