#moodsandmuses

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MOODS AND MUSES: FASHION DESIGNERS AND THEIR MUSES

In the fashion world, designers would be not as successful without their muses, whose influence occasionally even shapes the trajectory of their work and careers.

Reference- https://www.elle.com.au/

With every great fashion moment, there's an iconic designer to thank, and some of the most prolific wardrobe moments in history were the result of a close companionship between designer and muse.

Take Bob Mackie, whose risqué work with Cher catapulted him to global superstardom, or Hubert de Givenchy, who crafted some of the most iconic looks worn by Audrey Hepburn—or in the modern day, Riccardo Tisci, who was one of the first high-fashion names to dress Kim Kardashian West when he was the creative director of Givenchy.

List of the most iconic designer/muse in history:

Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn.

Yves Saint Laurent and Betty Catroux.

Karl Lagerfeld and Ines de la Fressange.

Riccardo Tisci and Kim Kardashian.

Jean Paul Gaultier and Madonna.

Monica Bellucci and Dolce&Gabbana.

Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs.

1. Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn

Hubert de Givenchy, the man behind the house of Givenchy, and actress Audrey Hepburn's relationship was one of the most successful designer/muse duos to date. Givenchy designed the iconic 'little black dress' worn by Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, which cemented the actress as one of the most stylish women of the 20th century.

"His are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality," said Hepburn. The Breakfast at Tiffany's dress also helped Givenchy gain worldwide recognition, and his intricate, feminine designs became the subject of adoration.

2. Yves Saint Laurent and Betty Catroux

Over the span of his working years, Yves Saint Laurent had many female muses, including the likes of Victoire Doutreleau and Paloma Picasso. However, there was one woman who stood out from the rest—model Betty Catroux. The two met in Paris in the early days of Laurent's career and soon became inseparable. Like many of Saint Laurent's muses, she retained a rebellious edge which inspired many of his designs, including the pantsuit.

3. Karl Lagerfeld and Ines de la Fressange

In 1982, Ines de La Fressange became the first model to sign an exclusive modelling contract with Chanel. Fressange became Lagerfeld's muse due to her uncanny resemblance to Coco Chanel, and soon became a popular figure in the fashion industry. In 1989, Lagerfeld and Fressange had an argument after she went to serve as a model for Marianne, the symbol of France.

However, the duo eventually reunited, and Fressange made her return to the Chanel runway at the brand's spring summer '11 show. 

4. Monica Bellucci and Dolce&Gabbana

Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce are long time personal friends with Monica,who they have chosen as their  muse long ago. As Stefano says himself: ‘She expresses perfectly the Dolce & Gabbana woman. She is ravishing – a true Italian icon.’ Domenico is just as complimentary about the actress and describes her beauty as ‘timeless’ and adding that she ‘never fails to inspire us.’

5. Pierpaolo Piccioli and Adut Akech

Piccioli's work as creative director of Valentino is highly acclaimed by fashion critics, and supermodel-in-the-making Adut Akech could be considered his main muse. 

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MOODS & MUSES: ANDY WARHOL AND MODERN FASHION

Kick-starting a brand new series on fashion and the fascinating inspirations and concepts that guide fashion creatives, Moda Factor brings to you “moods and muses” where we take a deeper look at iconic muses and themes that inspire and influence fashion-- season after season, time and again and the prominence that it holds in current times, and what it could mean tomorrow.

Author: Asmitha Shenoy

Andy Warhol is no stranger to many who are well-versed in fashion and art. The iconic Campbell Soup paper dress printed by Warhol in the 60s permanently enshrined him in the world of fashion, as his legacy continues to inspire designers even today.

A leading figure in the visual arts movement of Pop art, he began his career as a fashion Illustrator for Harper’s Bazaar, where he was reportedly called ‘Andy Paper bag’ by then-fashion editor Diana Vreeland because of the way he brought his illustrations into the office.

Entering the art scene with his first solo show in 1962, His use of imagery from popular and mass cultures such as cultural objects, celebrities, comic books, and advertising greatly influenced the fashion world, solidifying his prominence in the industry forever.

Fashion inspired by Warhol, initially featuring only in paper dresses called “Souper Dresses”, soon featured in high fashion runways of designers such as  Jean Charles de Castelbajac, who included a dress shaped and printed like a Campbell’s soup can in his Spring/Summer 1984 collection.

This was followed by Versace in 1991, where they released a jewel-encrusted gown modelled by supermodel Linda Evangelista featuring Warhol’s iconic depiction of Marilyn Monroe.

Since then being a regular feature in the fashion world, one often sees high-fashion reproductions of Andy Warhol’s works featuring in t-shirts, accessories and clothing.

Warhol’s style and focus on consumerism and pop culture in his art continues to be a major influence on fashion designers even today, which can be seen in the work of Jeremy Scott, both in his eponymous label and his designs for Moschino, such as his sequined dress and top featuring a logo referencing the classic Coca-Cola symbol in his A/W 2011 line, and the Spring 2013 Moschino menswear collection that featured pieces with the Budweiser logo and that of a detergent company. And none can forget Moschino’s 2014 A/W Womenswear  RTW collection that featured looks inspired by and featuring the McDonald’s logo, packaging of various food brands such as Fruit loops, and SpongeBob, giving a nod to the pop art movement that Warhol was part of.

The relevance of Warhol’s works and focus on using pop culture references and unexpected product packaging and graphic design prints and logos  can even be seen today, with fast fashion brands emblazoning their clothing with playful and quite ironic logos of cereal brands, for example.

And it doesn’t end there. Vetements, for their spring 2020 menswear line converted Paris’ largest McDonalds outlet into a fashion runway featuring clothing with corporate logos as a sarcastic response to Capitalism. While not a direct pop art reference, the use of logos of consumer brands and mass culture, a feature of pop art, can be seen , and the growing focus on using brand logos as an aesthetic perhaps signifies the sign of the times: fast-paced globalization and a ‘culture’ shaped by mass production. In a time where the world is increasingly aiming to be ‘sustainable’, what significance would it hold in years to come? Is the trend  of consumer-brand iconography as a fashion aesthetic an ironic satire of the times we live in? What appeal does it hold for us, as fashion consumers? An intrinsic and easily identifiable part of global culture, pop art in design seems to be a common design inspiration and the various connotations it could hold in changing times, in addition to the various meanings designers attach to it as a tool of expression in fashion collections, continues to be interesting to observe.

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Fashion moods and muses

Ever wondered about muses or inspirations behind fashion?

There are various inspirations or muses behind the alluring fashion collections. A fashion designer is often carried away by various inspirations such as a personality (example: Audrey Hepburn), books, paintings, museum or artefacts, posters, movies, music and so on. These muses or inspiration help the designer to eternalize the creativity within them and fabricate new ones.

"Everyone is an artist"

-Joseph Beuys

What is your inspiration?