If we agree with Ricciotto Canudo that cinema is the seventh art that incorporates all of the visual arts together such as architecture, sculpture, painting, music, poetry (literature) and dance then what about fashion? I see designers drawing their inspiration from all the 7th arts, does it make fashion the 8th point on the list?
Well, with my high appreciation of it I wouldn’t say so. While creating an outfit, first and foremost, designers should see this image of their work already to determine what kind of look they are going for. Then they pick up a piece of paper and a pencil and begin forming up their vision in a sketch.
Images, looks, sketches – it all sounds like… a painting. A fashion design is a great way to reference a period of history, a public figure, national culture, art movement and etc.
So in today’s post I want to share some fashion ideas that were inspired by well-known modern art paintings, sometimes so well-know that we don’t know where it came from.
As you probably know modern art started paving its way into the world at the end of 19th century. It was all about change: change of the subject-matter, change of painting methods, and change of the audience. Now the painting doesn’t have to be flawless and balanced in a classical way, it doesn’t belong to that mantelpiece in the house of some rich person. It is from now on of the people, by the people, or the people.
The painters are looking back at the nature, admiring its colorful and simple beauty, they don’t think about the concept, they feel. Get the impression, make it your expression.
Inspired in my opinion by Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh and Emil Nolde extremely vivid and colorful paintings.
The world started to open up and expand, the artist who tired of looking up to antiquity or renaissance as their shiny examples were happy to discover Japanese prints, African masks, prehistoric cave paintings.
Some like Paul Gauguin left hustle and bustle of Paris for an exotic place where one could paint with freedom with no standards and borders. Gauguin was the first to depict that unusual beauty of Tahitian women. I bet one of his models might have looked like Naomi Campbell. Here is the Vogue tribute to the artist and his works.
Gustav Klimt is another painter who had a significant influence on fashion. His works were rich in decoration especially in gold leaf tresses and metallic elements that really sparked up the clothes.
Dior did a great job in showing off this style.
Despite bright colors, diverse cultures and elaborate décor, fashion gets inspired by stories behind the canvas, say, fairy tale characters.
These looks are echoing Mikhail Vrubel´s “Swan Princess” painting.
I appreciate the design but I personally would go with a different type of make-up here. I think it ruins the romantic flair of the character and makes it colder than it truly is.
If you needed to choose a painting to describe your desired outfit what it would be?
Related Article:
A Painter’s Canvas on a Designer’s Runway
Miro, Malevich, Mondrian – Art Protestors Who Inspire High Fashion
ARTnCULTURA 