Fashion as Art – and Art as Fashion

The art market may be navigating turbulent waters, with galleries across Manhattan downing shutters, and Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips registering a stark 27 per cent drop in global auction sales during the first half of 2024, as reported by The Art Newspaper.

Amidst the downturn, one sector that seems to be buoying up fine art is luxury fashion. Recently, Louis Vuitton reignited nostalgia by announcing a re-edition of its iconic early-2000s collaboration with Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami, whose work once defined an era of cultural crossovers.

Similarly, Gucci, Hublot, and Cartier have immersed themselves in the vibrant cultural milieu of Miami Art Week.

Beyond utility

A garment cuts across functionality to become art when it doesn’t exist merely to clothe but to convey the designer’s vision.

For contemporary artist Fawad Tamkanat, the fusion of art with fashion has become a cornerstone of contemporary innovation. Fawad, who has been showcasing his art globally for over four decades, feels the intersection enriches both the industries.

“Collaborations with contemporary artists inject fresh perspectives into design, transforming everyday wear into statements of individuality and creativity. Limited-edition clothing lines, accessories inspired by artistic motifs, and bespoke collections highlight how these partnerships push the envelope. Merging art and fashion’s accessibility accounts not merely for a garment but a cultural artefact, offering consumers something exceptional,” he tells us.

Tamkanat’s philosophy reinforces that art is not confined to galleries or museums but thrives in everyday lives. His two-decade-long collaborations with brands in Denmark and India for clothing lines, table mats, wall hangings and corporate designs, exemplify how art can lay the foundation. Companies like Ege Tæpper have woven his designs into exquisiteness, while Indian firms have brought his artwork to life through fashion and functional objects.

Tamkanat says, “art, whether functional or purely aesthetic, recasts the mundane into the extraordinary.”

Art-inspired fashion

Homogenising aesthetic pleasure and social consciousness is uniquely fulfilling. For Vidhi Kothari Mehta, founder of KEYA, art is the most inexhaustible form of inspiration, particularly when one thinks of Monet and Gustav Klimt. She cites Yves Saint Laurent’s Mondrian dress as a perennial case of fashion inspired by art. “Whenever art touches fashion,” she observes, “the outcomes are exemplary.”

Vidhi sees a similarity in the creative processes of both disciplines. “For an artist, painting isn’t a spontaneous act; it’s a symbol of thoughts and execution. Likewise, for a designer, every detail is a calculated move to create something outstanding,” she explains.

She reflects on Elsa Schiaparelli’s partnerships with Salvador Dalí, which birthed surrealist masterpieces like the ‘Lobster Dress’ and the ‘Shoe Hat.’ Creative fusion means precision, whether in tailoring or brushwork. “An artistic alliance,” she tells us, “should contest conventions, transforming routine objects into marvellous expressions of creativity.”

However, she is quick to acknowledge the pragmatic side of design. “When fashion meets art,” she says, “the product displaces the ordinary and redefines the familiar. But as designers, we must ensure these creations stand out for their utility while being artistically excellent. The union must meet the customer’s expectations and remain lucrative.”

Shared history

Fashion has consistently drawn from art movements throughout history, be it the geometric symmetry of Art Deco or the rebellion of the 1960s.

Dolphy, fashion designer and creative director of Meul Myoire, tells us, “Fashion catches the spirit of the era. It allows new forms of embodiment, unrestricted by physical limitations. Fashion and art echo the values, concerns, and aspirations of society. Their co-existence envisions the future while shaping the present.”

And sure enough, virtual fashion, championed by pioneers like Balenciaga and The Fabricant, blurs boundaries by existing solely in digital spaces.