Daphne Guinness got ready for the Met Costume Gala in the window of
Barneys in NYC as a performance art tribute to her friend Alexander McQueen, in honor of the Costume Institute’s new exhibition,
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. “Can fashion ever be art?” I may be repeating myself, but in my opinion the answer is yes, but one thing is not more valid than the other. It is not a matter of “better than” but a difference in perception. I think my position has always been clear, though some would disagree. It could not by any means be argued that all fashion is art, nor all designers artists, but figures such as McQueen, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga (among others) prove that occasionally there exist exceptional creative minds, groundbreaking artists, who just happen to have chosen clothing as their canvas. I feel that the clothing industry has become increasingly confused, its identity increasingly fractured by corporate demands. I believe there has been a lull in the last two decades, and my prediction is that this will lead to some sort of explosion of ideas." 'Remembrance of Things Past: Daphne Guinness on Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow Behind the Windows at Barneys',
Vogue.com.
So what is art? The age old question that takes me back to my Art History 101 lectures. I believe that fashion can unequivocally be art. At University they told us that one categorization of art is Art is "what the 'art world' tells you is art"- the art world being artists, dealers, curators etc. I believe that art something you find interesting or beautiful or moves you. It could be an inanimate object, or an installation or video - such as McQueen's
Kate Moss hologram. Or a storm, or a rainbow. Something that causes a reaction. Fashion most definitely does this for me. A
Nicholas Kirkwood shoe - like sculpture. A
mille feuille of ruffles by Versace Couture cascading around Sarah Jessica Parker in the final episode of 'Sex and the City'. Sir Francis Bacon said "Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse." I like that quote.
Daphne has purchased Isabella Blow's entire collection and hopes to exhibit it one day. "Ever since I purchased it after her death, I have toyed and struggled with how best to illuminate her collection—the most vivid representation of who she was, evoking memories of her perfect idiosyncrasies, her quick eye, and her wonderful daring persona...It became apparent to me that it was a good way to start to curate her collection as well as my own and to share it with people who appreciate art as fashion."
Isabella Blow by by Steven Meisel, 1993
"It’s Issy—it’s her DNA—it should not be scattered to the four winds. "I want it to remain as a monument."
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty runs at the Met until July 31st. Surprisingly, only a handful of celebs rocked up to the Met Costume Gala wearing McQueen - here they are, in order of my favourites.
Karen Elson
Daphne
SJP
Giselle
Chloe Sevigny
Naomi CampbellSee here for more on the divine
Ms Guinness, and here for more on
Isabella Blow and Alexander McQueen.
The the other day I wore electric blue suede shoes with my black pencil skirt and black skinny jumper to work. My boss was horrified. He said - "You don't match!" I love colour blocking - although I have to admit I usually only mix 2 colours. A nice cherry red bag with a black outfit. But I love combos like parrot-green and pink, or electric blue and purple. I just attended a wedding and my friend looked fabulous in a full length scarlet red slip dress with electric blue shoes and leather gloves, and a purple jacket, paired with matte red lips. If you aren't quite as daring as Karen Elson & co below, try easing into it - pair a muted outfit with a pair of bright coloured shoes, a scarf, opaque stockings, or a hand-bag. NZ is finally starting to dip it's toes into colour - it's hard to find saturated brights amongst the racks of grey, black and dusty pink - but it's out there! This Winter I plan on scouring the stores ( - likely to be online) to add some more brights to my wardrobe. Here is some inspiration...
Harpers Bazaar Australia, March 2011
Gucci-licious, Spring/Summer 2011
Mrs Brand does Gucci on the cover of ELLE US
