WEAR YOUR ART ON YOUR SLEEVE
WATCH OUT, STELLA – there’s another Mccartney making claims on our wardrobes. This week, the always-innovative Matchesfashion.com unveils its latest project, a capsule of six scarves created in collaboration with photographer Mary Mccartney. A celebration of the female form, the collab includes archival photos and specially commissioned portraits, reprinted on to silk.
Matches isn’t alone in its artistic aspirations. Picking up on the long-running tradition of fashion houses drawing inspiration from art (see: Schiaparelli and Dalí, Yves Saint Laurent and Mondrian, Versace and Andy Warhol), a number of brands are unveiling limitededition pieces that would look as good on your walls as they do in your wardrobes.
These collabs are as energetic as they are diverse. Next week, Dior releases a new set of Lady Art bags, which sees the iconic Lady Dior bag reimagined by a varied group of 10 contemporary artists, from 80-year-old
John Giorno to 24-year-old Betty Mariani. These join the second edition of Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons Masters bags emblazoned with Monets, Turners and Gauguins. Then there’s Browns’ Basquiat doodle-adorned collection (released to coincide with the American graffiti artist’s Barbican exhibition) and Marni’s T-shirts and totes decorated with drawings by Venezuelan- Californian artist Magdalena Suarez Frimkess. And for your next season wish list there’s Coach’s Keith Harling collab. The collaborative spirit extends beyond the clothes to a larger scale. Raf Simons, a self-confessed art obsessive, teamed up with long-time collaborator Sterling Ruby to create his warped vision of Americana for September’s S/S ’18 show and Shrimps’ Hannah Weiland called on emerging artist Faye Wei Wei to create some whimsical paintings for her latest presentation.
Yes, there are some Marmite designs in this new-gen of collabs, but isn’t that the point? Art and fashion both excite when they provoke. Either way, there’s no denying these partnerships demonstrate the creative magic that can happen when art and fashion collide and, if it means we can get our hands on a Basquiat or Gauguin, we’re good with that.