Fashionably Forward: Art as Inspiration

As New York Fashion week drew to a close, it was apparent to those of us not fortunate enough to get a front row seat, but rather a bird’s eye view, that a synergy of art and fashion is underway. This trend is not about clothing or style, it affects the direction fashion is heading. With the fashion industry in a slump and the world of art booming, design houses and clothing manufacturers are recruiting well known artists to design art into their clothing to try to mimic the art world’s success. This approach seems to be working, because the breakout stars of the most recent fashion week weren’t designers or models, but the artists who lent their creative name and talent to the fashion houses. The famous British artist Damian Hirst, collaborated with Levi Strauss and the Andy Warhol Foundation to create a new line of denim called Warhol Factory -X Levi’s X. Hirst is a heavy hitter in the elite art world, commanding enormous sums for his work. His diamond skull artwork recently sold for a record 100 million dollars. If Levi was trying to think of a way to shake up the old brand image, bringing Hirst on board definitely did the trick. The ambiance created at the Gagosian Gallery for the runway debut of Hirst’s jean line screamed artistic style and marked his arrival on the fashion scene. Hirst is known for his controversial subjects and using death as a central theme. The rhinestone skulls, daggers and crosses he artistically placed on his pants definitely brought a sinister and edgy vibe to the line. The debut of this line with Levi’s was a surprise to many people in the fashion industry. Levi’s jeans are like a Ford car, they are basic, classic, and dependable. Levi’s could have tried every trick and creative process known in the fashion world to conjure high fashion or dangerous allure, but it would never have bubbled into view. Damian Hirst had the alchemy needed to transform Levis into a brand with street credibility because his name is synonymous with Gothic style. Hirst also took his specialty spin art from the canvas to his line for Levi’s jeans. The final products were four fabulous pairs of limited edition brightly colored jeans that could become pieces of artwork if hung on walls not bodies. It is ironic that Andy Warhol’s Foundation stood in as a second in the Hirst fashion fusion with Levis. His disposable art/clothes, Campbell’s soup dresses were the prototype and definite forerunner of the art fashion blend

While Warhol may be given muse credit, Louis Vuitton, though not the earliest bird caught the biggest worm, in its collaboration with Marc Jacobs that gave wings to this trend. Jacobs, an expert in bringing in artists to produce or create special lines of clothing or accessories to shake up a brand’s image, tapped famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to make a special edition collection of Louis Vuitton handbags that showcased Murakami’s signature anime style (pictured to the right). Murakami’s success with bright bold colors and design made a stogy line, red hot with yearlong wait lists and prompted new lines for the artist. The Murakami bag a runway success in two senses, it became an iconic piece of fashion and revived Andy Warhol’s original idea and prototype.

This trend appears to be expanding. Modern designers are utilizing art’s ability to inspire by incorporating prints, from distinguished artists into their clothing collections. Celine’s fall runway collection included clothing designed by head designer Ivana Omazic from fabric printed with successful photographer Mike Ningawa’s photos, the image below and to the left showcases the floral photo that is used on the dress.


Matthew Williamson head designer for Emilio Pucci, used geometric prints that to a trained eye bore a striking resemblance to the neo-modern artist Piet Mondrian (top, right). This fusion of fashion and art not only lends creativity and freshness, it helps rid the fashion industry of the superficiality of fashion. Art lends some degree of substance and permanency to the ephemeral world of fashion. It takes a skilled or well-trained eye to pick up the visual reference of art in the clothing. The artistic provenance or inspiration in an outfit, make it wearable art and a classic. The reason is simple. Mondrian doesn’t go out of style; he is timeless and has left an indelible mark in the art world. The combination of art and fashion produces both beauty and brains. Fashion is no longer a pretty face without substance, it is on somewhat more solid ground, for we are no longer a slave to fashion, and we are hungry for art. Designers and artists are showcasing their knowledge of the entire visual art world and those who can identify and attribute the inspiration are part of a clique of well-trained fashionista’s. Yes, they can identify their Gucci from their Pucci, but they also can identify their Manet from their Monet.