Fashion & art: Fashion designers taking inspiration from art

In celebration of Paris Fashion Week, which begins in early March, Artalistic has taken an in-depth look at the close relationship between art and fashion. These two worlds have collaborated with and inspired each other since the mid-19^th century, giving birth to innovative, rich pieces.

Art and fashion: A saga steeped in history and aesthetics

Famous names in fashion and art

During the 20^th century, painters, fashion designers and photographers played a major role in creating unity between the artistic disciplines and fashion.

Since the advent of haute couture around 1850, many renowned couturiers have collaborated with artists.

Chanel, Dior & Yves Saint-Laurent

For example, the famous Parisian designer Coco Chanel is well known for having frequented artistic circles. Yves Saint-Laurent is also known for enjoying the company of artists. Great artists such as Cocteau, Picasso and Dali created seminal collaborations with fashion designers.  

Before Christian Dior began his incredible career as a fashion designer in the 1920s, he was already involved in the art world and was the director of a gallery specializing in paintings.

Luxury fashion embued with contemporary art

Today, art and fashion collaborations often take on colossal financial risks to create unique pieces and jaw-dropping performances. It is no surprise that the worlds of fashion and art take inspiration from one another, as they are both visual fields. For example, Bernard Arnault, the owner of the French multinational corporation and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods LVMH often exhibits his work at FIAC - the International Contemporary Arts Trade Fair.

The fundamental role of building bridges between the worlds of art and fashion should also be emphasized. Cartier, Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton are the spearheads of this initiative.

Art & fashion: debates and controversy

This intricate and age-old relationship between art and fashion raises a recurring debate: can haute couture be considered an art? Putting this controversial question aside, we have rounded up a few examples of some of the greatest collaborations in art and fashion.

Two of the most famous collaborations

Yves Saint-Laurent & Mondrian

The fervent art lover and French fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent built a collection of more than 700 artworks during his lifetime. Yves Saint-Laurent created a line of clothing in 1965 called The Mondrian Collection, inspired by the artist Piet Mondrian. The collection featured six dresses featuring Mondrian’s signature graphic black lines and blocks of white and primary colors.

Elsa Schiaparelli & Dali

Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali make up another design duo that has gone down in history, creating outrageously innovative pieces. During the 1930s they made countless genius surrealist pieces, including the Lobster dress and the high-heeled Schiaparelli shoe hat presented at the 1937 haute couture fashion shows.

Dali was also inspired by Schiaparelli's innovative vision, as seen in his painting Night and Day Clothes of the Body (1936), a painting inspired by an Italian model's famous dresses.

The most significant contemporary collaborations

Over the past few decades, the relationship between contemporary art and fashion has become more intimately intertwined as an increasing number of fashion designers are collaborating with artists to create headline-worth collections.

Gianni Versace & Andy Warhol 

In 1991’s spring collection, Gianni Versace infused his fashion pieces with his love of contemporary art. The collection included several pieces featuring prints that were inspired by Andy Warhol - the king of Pop Art - including a dress featuring the iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe. The photo of the supermodel Naomi Campbell wearing Versace’s Warhol dress was on the front page of fashion news around the world. The Italian house did a throwback to this collection during the Milan Spring/Summer fashion show in 1998.

Alexander McQueen & Damien Hirst

In 2013, Alexander McQueen celebrated the tenth anniversary of his signature skull scarf by creating a limited edition collection with the artist Damien Hirst. An astonishing alliance between contemporary art and fashion resulting in a collection of silk scarves featuring various insects, most notably butterflies.

Louis Vuitton & Jeff Koons 

The French leather goods house Louis Vuitton and the American visual artist Jeff Koons created a line of bags and accessories that blended the best of luxury fashion and art. The pieces in the collection featured Koons’ interpretation of famous paintings by Leonardo De Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. This design duo’s creations received both negative and positive criticism.