True love: Fashion & Warhol
NEW YORK — Artist Andy Warhol infamously said, “In the future, everyone will be worldfamous for 15 minutes.” In his case, though, his time in the spotlight has lasted much longer, particularly in the world of fashion.
At New York Fashion Week earlier this month, a number of tributes to Pittsburgh’s native pop artist dressed up Skylight Clarkson Sq, one of the main venues for fashion shows in lower Manhattan. The E! network’s on-site set, along with lounge, cafe and lobby spaces, featured Warhol works from Christie’s auction house that were up for bid during the week. The sale was a partnership among Christie’s; E!; and NYFW: The Shows, which is put on by IMG, one of the world's leading producers of fashion shows. It raised money for The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts’ grant-making programs.
Another popular attraction inside the venue was a photo booth where guests could pose for Polaroid-inspired photos, like the hundreds of instant ones the artist was known for snapping of celebrities.
“Given E!’s role in pop culture, Warhol’s legacy as a pop artist and our commitment to celebrating all forms of culture during New York Fashion Week, we’ve created an experience that appeals to all interested in art, fashion and celebrity,” Catherine Bennett, senior vice president and managing director of IMG Fashion, told Women’s Wear Daily.
In recent seasons, a number of designers — from the fashion label Libertine to celebrity-favorite Jeremy Scott — have called Warhol a muse for their collections or advertising campaigns. One of the latest to do so is Calvin Klein, which centered its spring “American Classics” campaign around Warhol works photographed at The Andy Warhol Museum on the North Side.
The nearly 50-year-old label is in the midst of a reinvention. Last August, the company announced that Belgian fashion designer and former Jil Sander and Dior creative director Raf Simons would take over as chief creative officer for all of Calvin Klein’s men’s, women’s and home brands. For his first campaign, Mr. Simons curated iconic pieces from the Calvin Klein archives (think underwear and jeans) and put them in the context of iconic American art.
“When he was formerly at other companies, he was always committed to engaging and working with well-known modern and contemporary artists,” says Lea Freid, a consultant for arts partnerships and projects for Calvin Klein, who worked on the campaign. “It wasn’t just taking Warhol out of the museum. It gave people more of a breadth and history of him.”
Photographer Willy Vanderperre shot the campaign in Pittsburgh in December. The Andy Warhol Museum has been a backdrop for many shoots over the years, with one of the most notable fashion ones being for Vogue Italia, says