It takes little to see that, over the past twenty years, the boundaries between fashion and art have started to merge rapidly. Major museums have been overtaken by fashion, and well-known fashion brands are hiring artists. But it wasn't always the case. It's common to compare and contrast fashion with art. Fashion is usually distinguished by the fact its lighthearted, and art is 'serious'.
Many people think that fashion is a type of body art and a part of visual culture. As a result, several well-known fashion designers from across the world have produced gorgeous collections that draw inspiration from current art trends.
There has always been a close connection between fashion and art. Many fashion designers have drawn influence from art movements for their collections, leading us to consider fashion to be a form of art.
Fashion's relationship with art is closely bound with the beginning of the 'fashion system' in the late eighteenth century, that is, in the transition from clothing and dress to fashion as a social and economic modulator of class and taste.
The Renaissance
Last year, 21st-century styles in fashion with Resurgence inspirations saw a revival. Designers began developing angular shapes that recalled Italian paintings from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to fit the "Heavenly Bodies" theme of the 2018 Met Gala.
Designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Pierpaolo Piccioli, and Marie Grazia Chiuri were already experimenting with this period of art history and producing renowned haute couture outfits that revolutionised the fashion industry before there was a frenzy of interest in Renaissance forms.
Paintings have traditionally served as creative inspiration for fashion art from the Renaissance to the present. Since the dawn of time, when inventive minds drew inspiration from a multitude of sources, art and fashion have been combined. This fashion is not new.
The distinction between high art and high fashion is sometimes muddled, as shown in the usage of Gustav Klimt's recognisable golden swirls on gowns, Pablo Picasso's asymmetrical geometry as an inspiration for coats, or Henri Matisse's daring picture of a Romanian blouse becoming an actual blouse.
Our thoughts and visions are communicated via art. Here are some examples of wearable art created by 20th-century fashion pioneers as a homage to art history.
Salvador Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli
A silk summer evening dress created by Salvador Dali, a Spanish surrealist, and Elsa Schiaparelli, a well-known Italian fashion designer, served as the impetus for the whole craze. When American socialite Wallis Simpson wore the garment for a photo shoot for Vogue magazine, the outfit became well-known. He had created the garment, which featured a pronounced lobster pattern that descended from the waist.
The incredible garment was designed by two brilliant minds and had a pattern of a gigantic lobster. Elsa Schiaparelli was thrust into a new setting as a result of her contacts with the expanding art community. She valued creativity, art, culture, and ideas as much as she valued physical attractiveness and fashion fads. In the end, Schiaparelli's unique, opulent style had an impact on Muccia Prada and other fashion houses. Schiaparelli was renowned for her connections to the larger intellectual scene.
Alexander McQueen - Gustav Klimt
The 20th century saw the impact of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, a master of Symbolism and founder of the Vienna Secession movement. His drawings and artistic approach have long served as an inspiration to fashion designers. The fashion icon who expressly mentioned Klimt was Alexander McQueen, among others like Aquilano Rimoldi, L'Wren Scott, and Christian Dior.
For the 2013 spring/summer collection, he designed unique pieces for the resort collection that seem to be inspired by the painter's artwork. Looking at the flowing black robe with the repeating gold motif on top, one may visualize a certain scene. McQueen embraced abstract, geometric, and mosaic patterns in bronze and gold tones and incorporated them into his works of art.
Andy Warhol and Gianni Versace
An extremely long-time friendship existed between Andy Warhol and Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace. Both individuals were fascinated by popular culture. Warhol was the focus of Versace's 1991 Spring/Summer Collection. One of the ensembles included Andy Warhol portraits of Marilyn Monroe. He adorned skirts and maxi dresses with vividly colored silk-screened images of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe from the 1960s.
Without question, the Pop Art movement had a great impact on both fashion designers and artists.
The Future
The fashion and art sectors are finding it more difficult to ignore the moving image as virtual platforms advance. There are many confluences taking place right now that are as intricate and creative. The line separating art and fashion is crossed by some types of music videos and movies, for example.
Fashion's Relationship To Art
Even if one is skeptical, it is apparent that fashion and art have long had a symbiotic connection. A connection that only seems to be strengthening as we enter a new world of fashion.
The coexistence of fashion and art seems to be unavoidable, in a more digital and abstract age. There are many similarities between catwalks and galleries nowadays with the advent of fashion sold as virtual assets or NFTs.
As Carolina Herrera stated: "Fashion is art in motion, which makes it distinct from other forms of expression." Whether that distinction remains, remains to be seen.