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Luxury

Are fashion and art collaborations worth the hype?

STORYBohan Qiu
From Gucci to Burberry, it seems like fashion houses are scrambling to collaborate with an artist, host an exhibition or show face at every Art Basel and Biennale
From Gucci to Burberry, it seems like fashion houses are scrambling to collaborate with an artist, host an exhibition or show face at every Art Basel and Biennale

From Gucci to Burberry, it seems like fashion houses are scrambling to collaborate with an artist, host an exhibition or show face at every Art Basel and Biennale

Fashion and art have long strived for legitimacy, and share an increasingly undefinable border. Fashion houses are increasingly keen to close the gap through exhibitions or collaborations with the art sector.

Designer guru Raf Simons’ friendship with art world bad boy Sterling Ruby led to a collaboration back in 2008 when Ruby first designed Simons’ Tokyo store.
Sterling Ruby (left) and Raf Simons.
Sterling Ruby (left) and Raf Simons.
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The links spilled over into Simons’ ready-to-wear, Dior couture and Calvin Klein’s new office, where Simons became creative director in 2016.
Cult streetwear brand Vetements was absent from June’s Paris Fashion Week, where designer Demna Gvasalia usually creates a buzz with his fresh views on new luxury, and what the fashion-obsessed crowd will be wearing the following year.

Instead of a runway show, he published images taken by him in the brand’s base, Zurich, of regular Swiss people positing what a “fashion” post means to them, wearing next season’s Vetements in the most ordinary way. The images were showcased in an exhibition in a multi-story car park.

In place of a @vetements_official’s  fashion show, Demna Gvasalia hosted a photo exhibited, entitled “NOSHOW,” showcasing imagery taken by Demna himself. While the event wasn’t a “show” itself, the attendees made it one with their sartorial creativity. Swipe through for the best fits from the event. Photo: @cris.fragkou / HYPEBEAST

A post shared by HYPEBEAST Style (@hypebeaststyle) on Jun 25, 2017 at 7:11am PDT

This year, big brands and small have used the exhibition format to showcase their universe, such as Dior’s “Couturier du rêve” at Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Hermes’ showcase in MoMu Antwerp of the Margiela Years archive.
Burberry recently revealed the location of its third “see now, buy now” show, alongside an exclusive “Here We Are” art exhibition displaying British photography from Ken Russell, Dafydd Jones, Martin Parr and Alasdair McLellan.

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