Many people think that the works of art in high places have little connection with their life. In fact, it is not. Take the clothing industry as an example, many famous designers are keen on seeking inspiration from the works of some artists. Today we might as well change a kind of "artistic" vision, to see what art masterpieces are hidden in fashion?

Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli designed lobster dresses inspired by Dali's "lobster telephone"

Image appropriation

How do you embed art into your outfit? The first thoughtless treatment, of course, is the direct appropriation of the classic pattern. Take the famous "mondrian skirt" in the history of fashion as an example. In 1965, yves saint Laurent pioneered the introduction of mondrian's tartan painting into fashion. Mondrian's crisp colors and simple yet powerful lines have another wonderful effect on the model.

The mondrian dress

In addition to YSL, Prada, Fendi and other big brands have also sought inspiration from mondrian's perfectly ordered color blocks, and squares have almost become the classic elements of the fashion industry.

Prada Fall 2011

Claude monet, the impressionist master, is also the Muse of many designers, especially his "water lily" series in his later years, which has reached the peak of the use of light and shadow. It is not only loved by the public, but also pursued by various brands. In recent years, Jeff koons has collaborated with Louis vuitton on a number of master bags, including monet's water lily. However, no matter how we evaluate the design of the artist, there is no denying that these famous paintings bring enough gimmicks to the brand.

Louis Vuitton x Jeff Koons‘ Monet collection

Fashion houses like chanel and Rodarte seem to be more understated than straight prints. It is not difficult for us to see the borrowing of monet's water lily series images, but after the designer's second creation, the clothes and the human body have achieved a kind of harmonious integration.

left：Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2016
Right: monet A Pathway in Monet’s Garden， Giverny

left：Rodarte Spring-Summer 2015

Right: monet "water lily" series

From Rene magritte's surrealistic paintings to Georgia o 'keeffe's "lusty" flowers to kirico's eerie cityscape, there is a reappropriation of classic images.

　　Rene magritte x Opening Ceremony
2014 Spring/Summer

Elie Saab S/S 2010 fabric pattern

It's a painting by American artist Georgia o 'keeffe

Off-white Fall 2016 borrows from the work of George DE chirico

Inspiration reference

The reproduction and appropriation of classic images can undoubtedly satisfy some plot of the original, but it also brings some limitations to the design of clothes. As coco chanel said, fashion is architecture, and it has to do with proportion. And from painting to clothing is no less than a difficult second creation.

Walter Van Beirendonck fall 2015

Picasso's 1938 painting Femme a La Resille

The Austrian separatist painter gustav klimt is famous for his gold paintings, but klimt's reputation comes not only from painting real gold, but also from the perfect blend of abstraction and realism in these works. Although the faces in the paintings are real, the clothes on the figures are decorated with geometric decorations. This magnificent gold-plated Mosaic style has a great influence on fashion.

Gustav klimm's kiss, 1907, oil on canvas

Alexander McQueen Pre spring/summer 2013

Golden waist and chest are matched with fashionable slits and small feet pants, and the golden pattern repeatedly appears on the black. As can be seen from Alexander McQueen's 2013 spring/summer series, the pattern in klint's painting is not directly applied, but created after a deep understanding of the artist's modeling language. Similarly, Tory Burch's fall 2013 collection draws inspiration from klint's decorative paintings: metallic prints and patterns, rich and subtle textures, all revealing understatement luxury.

Tory Burch Fall 2013

　　Rick Owens Klimm's influence was also mentioned in the interpretation of the 2013 collection, but in addition to the gold visual effect, he captured inspiration from the point of view of line decoration and emphasized the cutting and wrapping quality of the clothes. Under the interpretation of Rick Owens, the whole collection has more futuristic flavor.

Rick Owens Spring 2013

When you stand under James turrell's carefully constructed Skyspace and stare at the color changes in the sky, it is hard not to be influenced by this peaceful and pure power.

James turrell, skylight

Translucent sequins cover, arc streamline, minimal modeling... Designer Haney has not been shy about James turrell's inspiration for his own clothing design, and has learned more about exploring light and space from turrell's installation.

Haney Spring2017

And sometimes, a designer's inspiration may not be an artist. For example, j.mendel's fall 2016 collection is inspired by two artists, American photographer Sheila Metzner and polish decorative artist Tamara de Lempicka。

　　Photography by Sheila Metzner

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Painting by Tamara DE Lempicka

Sheila Metzner is good at finding inspiration from life, creating many sensual, elegant and charming images. Tamara DE Lempicka gained attention for her decorative style. Mendel said that both artists created his current favorite flower, the calla lily, but presented it in a completely different style: Metzner's calla lily is simple and hazy; De Lempicka's calla lily is bold and contrasting in color. But the two artists have one thing in common: they both adore beauty and elegance.

J。 Mendel Fall 2016

Mendel herself used calla lilies as a print on a ruby and cobalt blue bra dress and as beads on a shiny floor-length coat. But you can still find the beautiful curves of petals on simple pleated skirts and sculptural bodices.

J。 Mendel Fall 2016

Spiritual inheritance

Tradition is like a treasure trove, and sometimes designers may spend their lives drawing inspiration from rich traditions. "Balenciaga and Spanish painting", a madrid-based exhibition, tells us the interwoven relationship between balenciaga and Spanish classical paintings.

Balenciaga and Spanish paintings

Born in 1895 in a small fishing village in Spain's Basque country, valencia's mother was a skilled tailor. Because of her mother, valencia entered the tailoring industry at an early age, when she made clothes for the region's elite families, including the marquis and marquise casa torres, who spent the summer at the aldama palace.

Balenciaga and Spanish paintings

The aldama collection includes works by Spanish masters such as velasquez, el greco, pantoya DE la cruz and goya, and the young valencia began to develop her own unique aesthetic imagination through appreciation of these painters.

Left: frilly evening dress, museum of valencia, 1955

Right: el greco's portrait of a man, 1586, prado museum

In the exhibition hall, diego velazquez's the head of the apostles, el greco's "st Sebastian" and goya's "the cardinal don luis maria DE bourbon and add" tile lab, etc. These masterpieces in the history of Spain with valencia and design of dress collocation, and create a dialogue.

Goya's work is identical to the valencia red suit.

Left: goya, cardinal don luis maria DE bourbon and valabriga, 1800, prado museum

Right: dress and jacket suit, 1960, Madrid museum of dress

Inspired by greco's depictions of madonesses, saints and angels, valencia drew on the artist's palette, luminosity and subtle layering in the design of the yellow dress.

Left: el greco's annunciation, 1576, tison - bonemisa national museum

Right: evening dress, silk organza, Dominique Sirop collection, Paris

Balenciaga's iconic black is also deeply rooted in Spanish history. The court of Philip ii applied black to clothing throughout Europe. For a long time, black was a symbol of power and elegance, and valencia reinterpreted it in a unique and highly personal way.

Left: evening dress, museum of valencia, gutaria, 1943

Right: pentoya DE la cruz, portrait of the sixth countess Miranda, the palace of liria, Madrid

Flowers are also a source of inspiration for artists of all periods. In the exhibition, a with flower applique silk organza dress and a sheer embroidered with a pink dress, with Spanish painter, Juan DE o, gabriel DE la reja, walcott and benito espy, and others still lifes, shows us the paintings of still life how to become a dress the pattern of beauty.

Left: evening dress, 1960, Pilar Escriva DE Romani Mora collection

Right: gabriel DE la colt, flowers in a bottle, second half of the 17th century, gerstenmeyer collection

It can be said that in his works, valencia can be seen in the Spanish cultural tradition of his reference: simple, religious habits like simple lines; Inspired by the frangipani of flamenco dancers; The shiny sequins on the matadors' costumes matched the embroidered sequins on their jackets...

Left: evening dress, valencia museum, 1952

Right: Antonio Maria Esquivel, Josephine vargas, flamenco dancer, 1850

As valencia says, "a good fashion designer must be an architect of patterns, a sculptor of shapes, a painter of design ability, a musician of harmony and a philosopher of health." He expressed his influence in art through his unique style, vintage clothing and modern interpretation throughout his career, including his most avant-garde period.

Left: Rodrigo DE Villandrando, Isabel of Porto, wife of Philip iv, prado museum, Madrid, 1620

Right: wedding dress, 1957, shandong silk embroidered with silver thread, valencia museum, gutaria

How about, after looking at these, do you also get another way to open the famous painting? Oscar Wilde once said, "One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art." the evolution of a piece of clothing is rather an art history, deeply intertwined with society, culture and tradition in the process of civilization.

Author: fan Lin