Fashionistas have long shunned mundane, mass-made garments that have never been all that fashionable. This is especially true today, which A-listers across all industries are resorting to increasingly eccentric ensembles to make a statement. It shouldn’t be a shock when celebrities show off clothing made from raw meat or accessories made from ice on the red carpet. Had they donned some conventional designer pieces, they probably wouldn’t be remembered as pioneers when it comes to strikingly distinctive appearances.
But what do stars do when they want their appearance to have a lasting impact while also representing something culturally meaningful and impactful? Can they be innovative and make a mark with artistic, beautifully intricate pieces that perhaps even pay tribute to some of history’s most important artistic movements? That seems convincing – and the route seems to be through wearable art.
Sculptures in clothing? It’s old hat
Long before fast fashion retailers released garments inspired by iconic works of art that evolved into screen-printed marketing strategies, these clothes meant something very different. Big stage names such as Salvador Dali And Henri Mattise explored fashion for their creative endeavors, which later became a trend in the most valid form in the world. Looking at the story of the first artist, the Spanish surrealist painter collaborated Elsa Schiaparelliand their creations inspired a clothing line, including an iconic Tear Dress that referenced some of the star’s masterpieces.
Frida Kahlo Colorful and bold clothing went unnoticed for decades, and it was not until 2004 that her items were unearthed, becoming a testament to the painter’s bold and distinctive personal style. Finally, a sculptor and performance artist Nick Cave is rightly famous for its Soundsuits, which in addition to being wearable also exist as tactile sculptures. The wearable sculpture pioneer ushered in a fashion movement where all kinds of artisanal or kitschy materials could be transformed into distinctive garments.
As these brilliant minds demonstrate, the line between sculpture and fashion is as thick as perception allows. Until far into the future, sculptures for sale and distinguished by their quality and rarity, could inspire viewers to decorate their homes or, in the most fantastic scenario, limited-edition wearable art.
Wearable art: Creating stories about clothes
In today’s fashion landscape, where mass-produced clothing that means nothing abounds in the market, a groundbreaking and compelling trend is gaining ground and bridging the gap between artistry and clothing. Wearable art, or accessories and clothing created specifically as works of art, is a moving combination of functionality and imagination, where the worn pieces not only inspire stylistic flair, but also evoke feelings and challenge age-old fashion norms. This invaluable and distinctive means of self-expression encourages enthusiasts to reveal their personality and wear it inside out so they can take their beloved art expressions to places they want to make an impact.
Often, iconic works of art inspired endless lines of mass-produced pieces in the fast-fashion world, with countless examples. For example, it is possible that many newcomers have heard of this By Vincent van Gogh famous Starry Night through the available themed items, ranging from clothing to pottery to home decoration.
Sculptural fashion aims to transform the human body into an expression by emphasizing specific features, curves or natural shapes. Furthermore, it exaggerates these features to make them observable from any viewer’s perspective. Fashion and sculpture have a number of things in common: they both use imaginative shapes, draping, casting, carving and other techniques.
A brief look back at the 1970s
Fashion collections inspired by books and their authors are nothing new; this trend has been going on for as long as we can remember. Moreover, it followed the wave of fame in the early 1970s, when the American artistic movement inspired the exact opposite.
Wearable art had emerged by then, giving those who wanted to make a statement the feeling that they had something to say – and that someone heard it. The whole point was to incorporate wall art and integrate it into everyday life. Nevertheless, in the modern era, designers took a different approach to this trend, often drawing inspiration from literary writings for striking clothing and themed collections.
Met Gala surprises again with writings incorporated into clothing
To highlight how far wearable art has come, it’s enough to look at modern examples at iconic celebrity shows like the annual Met Gala. Designers developed creations inspired by characters and novels such as “The Great Gatsby” Through F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Alice in Wonderland” Through Lewis CarollAnd “Little Mermaid” Through Hans Christian AndersenUnpleasant name a few.
Other designers chose to up their game and transform these literary operas into formal wear. The 2022 Gala, with celebrity names like Gigi Hadid And Kylie Jennerand the 2023 edition, with personalities such as Leah Michelare living examples of how books and fashion are intertwined. The theme of the Program 2022 was none other than “The Garden of Time” by an English novelist J. G. Ballard.
Wearable art will stand the test of time
Wearable art is a movement and it’s unlikely to go anywhere in the near future. This concept has the power to merge two seemingly opposite worlds: fashion with its social norms and art with its way of challenging normality. The pieces in this category are not mass produced, but handmade and meticulously decorated. This individual human touch ensures that owners can rest assured that the same outfit they are wearing will not be flaunted by anyone else around the world.
Furthermore, wearable art takes art off the walls of galleries, where it is not accessible to everyone, and onto the streets. This trend improves the cultural knowledge of an increasingly large audience, allowing them to regularly come into contact with it and build a bond with previous generations.
Wearable art is a beneficial phenomenon, and celebrities testify to this
Celebrities show that there are no limits to wearing clothes that tell a story and refer to artistic movements, masterpieces, styles, and so on. This is more often than not associated with the skills and competence of the designer, meaning that once this barrier is raised, the possibilities become endless!
Featured image: Jacopo Raule/Getty Images
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