How Art Influences Fashion

Art and fashion have been intrinsically linked throughout history, and the collaboration between the disciplines has resulted in boundary-pushing innovations.  

Curious about new forms, fascinated by color and texture, and intrigued by social, historical, and cultural references, fashion designers have turned to the visual arts for sartorial inspiration. Prompted by this, some world-famous fashion designers have made unique and memorable collections based on art movements, allowing us to interpret fashion as a form of art.

Dolce and Gabbana's Fall 2012 women's collection displays many characteristics of Italian Baroque art. For example, Peter Paul Rubens, one of the founders of Baroque art, used his concept of "colors are more important than lines" to paint masterpieces of beautiful women filled with love and earnestness.

Venus in Front of the Mirror, Rubens's masterpiece created in 1615, portrayed the ultimate symbol of beauty which inspired Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana to create a campaign that applauded the sensual and romantic side of female beauty. In this collection, the pastel color palette came to be in excellent harmony with the art of the Flemish painter. The models posed with great nobility, and the fashion designer's choice to include diverse models promoted the body type of that era and made it look like they jumped out of one of Ruben's paintings.

Art x Fashion at Eden Gallery

Renowned artist, Alec Monopoly, has incorporated well-known fashion labels into his work by turning them into a new kind of canvas. Through his customized, hand-painted Hermès Birkin bags, the renowned contemporary graffiti artist adds undeniable exclusivity to his already notorious artwork. The rare custom-painted Birkin bags take weeks to complete, and the same lines must be painted over several times due to the protruding grains of the leather. Monopoly's collaboration with Hermès elevates the handbag's exclusivity while blurring the line between the worlds of art and fashion.

The Astronomia Monopoly, an exuberant limited edition watch, furthers the relationship between art and fashion. This outstanding piece of wearable art contains miniature pop characters that represent the repertoire of Alec Monopoly. The watch sees four of the artist's most famous characters that were tailored to fit within the case. First, there's the artist himself, wearing a mask as his arms are spread to his side, holding his "money wings." Next, Mr. Monopoly grasps a melting pink dollar-sign ice cream cone as Scrooge McDuck, located directly beside him, has a bag of cash. Lastly, there's a red dollar sign with colorfully painted sides. All four objects were hand-sculpted, cast in gold, and then hand-painted by the artist himself.

The commercial partnership between art and fashion is also evident in the work of French artist Fred Allard. The famed artist expresses his artistic voice through creating works of art that surround fashion. His recent project 'Vide son sac' features a series of sculpted bag designs that combine the ordinary with luxury. Allard's unique sense of textiles and colors and how they shape imprints, iconographies, and culture derive from his background in fashion. His extraordinary handbags bridge the gap between art and fashion.

To take a deeper look into Alec Monopoly's and Fred Allard's exceptional work, explore our Eden Gallery website today or visit a gallery near you.