The pairing of art and fashion is nothing new. You don’t need us to tell you about the many, many fabulous things that have emerged when you pair designers and artists (Yves Saint Laurent and Andy Warhol; Marc Jacobs‘ Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami; even Comme des Garcons’ Rei Kawakubo and “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening.) For spring 2014, we saw art emerge as one of the biggest trends, appropriated in a literal way—swatches of paint on skirts, cubist sketches on blouses, and street art splashed across dresses.
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Phoebe Philo at Céline—reportedly inspired by Brassaï graffiti—presented a collection that featured mildly ’80s paint strokes in both black and white and bold colors, while Chanel showcased pieces splashed with literal paint swatches (not to mention models carrying sketchbooks.)
However it was Miuccia Prada that really took the art theme to new levels for spring, unearthing the world of street art in an especially intelligent way. The label commissioned six young artists, whose work appeared on dresses, coats and bags. The result? As the Guardian pointed out “a kind of hybrid of investment pieces – bonding this season’s “it” designs with what is effectively limited-edition artwork. This is a very Prada conceit – and one that will no doubt appeal to the strong women who wear the designer’s clothes.”
Of course, those three weren’t the only ones who had fun with modern art for spring, using bold primary colors and a mix of techniques that resulted in unique, memorable collections.
To prove that modern art making a statement this season, we’ve rounded up up a solid mix of runway looks and items to buy now!
