Art IRL
Illustration by Kine Andersen
Exploring the intersection of art and fashion
This one goes out to all the fashion lovers out there (shoutout to the people who would do the unspeakable for a Birkin, I hope you feel seen). We often hear of life imitating art and here we explore fashion doing just that. Yes, that’s right, this Halloween we’re taking a sartorial stroll through history to examine the infamous relationship between art and fashion.
Before the days of Off-White and Supreme, art and fashion enjoyed a symbiotic relationship, borrowing inspiration from one another at every turn. It is well documented that Yves Saint Laurent was an avid fan of art. Fun fact: his love of Yves Klein blue remains present in his Moroccan home and gardens to this day. From his 1965 Mondrian inspired A-line dresses, to his 1980 couture collection, influenced by Matisse’s cutouts, YSL routinely adopted elements of art into his renowned designs.
Art, but make it fashion
Similarly, fashion house Louis Vuitton boasts a succession of iconic collaborations. The SS08 LV x Richard Prince collection saw models mount the runway in sheer nurse dresses, a clever homage to the artist’s nurse paintings. Whilst the LV x Takashi Murakami collection was a colourful fusion of the famous LV monogram and contemporary Japanese pop art. Fashion brands continue to find creative ways to incorporate the classical and contemporary, inserting them into popular culture, thus blurring the lines between contour and couture.
Last year, Jeremy Scott took art straight from the canvas and transformed it into ready-to-wear, for a dazzling, Picasso inspired Moschino collection. The designs incorporated asymmetry and maximalism, reminiscent of the artist’s cubist style. Models donned bold colours with exaggerated shoulders and accentuated waists, creating amazing silhouettes that mimicked Picasso’s famous oil paintings. In particular, Bella Hadid’s ruffled collar jumpsuit borrowed style inspiration from Picasso’s Harlequin portrait. The show was straight out of an art history textbook, reimagining 20th century aesthetics and transporting Modernism to the runway.
Harlequin, 1901 by Pablo Picasso - Moschino, Spring 2020 Ready-to-Wear
In similar fashion, Giambattista Valli also unveiled a beautiful SS20 runway show. It is only fitting that the show was held at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, as the collection was evocative of the French Impressionist movement. The creative direction embodied the serene essence of spring, incorporating a runway decorated with wildflower floral arrangements and models styled in soft pinks and yellows, with small orchids applied to their faces (chic). The elements of nature and landscape drew parallels with Monet’s water lilies and Renoir’s picturesque gardens. The collection included puff sleeves, florals and ruffles, the delicate fabrics comparable to the small brushstrokes of Impressionist paintings. The result was a line of timeless pieces that act as an ode to a seminal chapter of art history. The concept of this collection celebrates classicism, and imaginatively explores the methods with which we can render a reflection of real life using different textures and materials.
Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge, by Claude Monet (Joel Remy Gifs)
Which brings us to our sartorial denouement. Kim Jones’ latest collaboration with rising star Amoako Boafo, once again illustrates how fashion can act as a natural extension of art. The Dior Men’s collection offers a fresh take on masculinity, with a series of wearable art. The signature knits and printed shirts are embossed with the designs of the Ghanaian artist, creating an original collection of clothing. The angular tailored jackets mirror the figures in Boafo’s portraits, whilst the images on the knits are instantly recognisable. Likewise, the designs mix colours and textures in a similar method to his portraits, borrowing elements of artistic craft and applying them to high fashion. The synergy between artist and fashion designer is effortless, demonstrating the ways in which the two can influence one another to maximise artistic expression.
Amoako Boafo: Dior Men’s Summer Collection
Art and fashion are quite literally cut from the same cloth, and continue to work simultaneously to explore new frontiers of creativity. Normcore can be likened to Conceptualism, as both movements transcend material concerns. Whilst blue chip art and hypebeast brands, embody status, luxury and above all, conspicuous consumption. The parallels between the two creative disciplines are endless. Whether it’s the walls of an art museum or the pages of Vogue, we are able to observe elements of both crafts, as they hold up a mirror to one another.