Lately in my Fashion Illustration class we have been
discussing the process of designing collections. One of the most fascinating
parts of the process is how to move through the process of starting from points
of inspiration on through to the final product.
The video that inspired this blog is a work by
artist James Jean, and was created by him as part of a marketing campaign for the
fashion design house Prada in 2007. He initially created a huge mural that the designers
worked with as the basis for their collection, seen below.
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| Prada models pose in front of the oversize mural by comic book artist James Jean. |
As you can see, sometimes the ideas were transferred literally, as in the case of the accessories, and sometimes the inspiration was more gently applied.
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| Floral shoes inspired by James Jean's artwork, by Prada. |
I love this video because it really shows one interpretation
of how to turn visual art into clothing, shoes and bags—wearable art suitable
for three dimensional life on the human form. As the little blue critters climb
onto her feet and metamorphose into shoes, it is easy to imagine a designer’s
imagination doing exactly that with so many other influences.
I’ve always been intrigued by the creative collaborations of
artists. I’d like to explore this idea more while focusing specifically on the fashion
industry, because these magnificent creations are generated at a furious pace,
with many people working together to create at least two big collections a
year. The fashion world takes its inspiration from so many sources, and often
acts as a voice for our culture, with its constant evolution continuing the
conversation. It is a dynamic collaborative process worthy of a closer look.
How do fashion artists inspire each other? What makes for a successful collaboration? How is fashion inspired by current artists? Or by artists in other media? What are some important historical collaborations? Have any artists been inspired by fashion creations, perhaps filmmakers? These are some of the questions I am interested in exploring.
I’m excited to research these ideas more, and I promise to include lots of gorgeous pictures to
go along with them!
This research project definitely sounds fun! Be sure to look in the library databases (info on D2L) for some academic articles on this subject. Unlike more "serious" issues, there may fewer published articles about fashion in scholarly journals, but I am sure there are still some articles.
ReplyDeleteYou might want to check out this student blog from last fall. It started with a similar question to yours, but then ended up focusing more on copyright issues in the fashion industry: http://mikenna.blogspot.com/
That video was crazy. It almost reminded me of the movie The Cell. But a lot less creepy. I think you should have a lot of fun with this project and it could be very interesting. I look forward to reading more of it. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteInteresting project! I am not a fashionista or anything but as a girl I love clothes, but I just do not understand some fashion. When I go shopping at the mall I am pretty well pleased with the clothing I see. Then i watch a fashion show or see a magazine and I am puzzled by the crazy things I see. I definatly see alot of creativity in it though!
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