Fashion has always had a major influence on art, but today designers are turning more and more towards it, often incorporating it into their collections.
In the 1970s, Hermes designer Lola Prusac translated Piet Mondrian’s bold geometry into a line of luggage and bags. And Yves Saint Laurent based his iconic 1965 shift dress on Mondrian’s famous primary-colored block print.
Mondrian
Piet Mondrian, a Dutch painter and art theoretician, had an immense impact on abstract art. His vibrant palette of abstract geometric figures were influential to both Modernism and Minimalism within visual culture.
There he developed his abstract style, moving away from figurative painting.
He adopted Neo-Plasticism, an aesthetic philosophy which saw painting as the flexible manipulation of its raw materials. During this time period, Mondrian created a series of paintings which perfectly encapsulated his aesthetic principles.
Fashion designers were immediately inspired by the vibrant geometric theme and Mondrian-style designs have become staple wardrobe pieces for many designers.
Op Art
Op Art was one of the most influential art movements of the 1960s, drawing inspiration from artists like Georges Seurat, Claude Monet and Mondrian to create stunning visual illusions. By studying scientific research on how our eyes perceive color, light, depth perception size shape motion these artists created optical illusions which dazzled viewers with their incredible eye-boggling visuals.
Op Art was a short-lived movement, but its influence still resonates today on contemporary artists. The works of its founding fathers are prized in prestigious collections around the world while younger generations have incorporated elements of Op art into their artwork.
Bridget Riley is renowned for her use of geometric forms and high contrasts to create captivating optical effects. She took inspiration from Seurat’s pointillism, but her Op artworks were more abstract in style. Additionally, Riley explored dynamism which is still evident today in her paintings.
De Stijl
De Stijl, or De Stijl in Dutch, was founded in 1917 by Theo van Doesburg and included artists Piet Mondrian, Vilmos Huszar, Bart van der Leck as well as architects Gerrit Rietveld and Robert van ‘t Hoff.
De Stijl was an aesthetic movement that celebrated geometric forms and simplified composition. This aesthetic permeated all areas of design – painting, architecture, typography, industrial design – and was widely adopted throughout Europe.
De Stijl’s work has had an immense impact on modern fashion, inspiring many designers of art-deco pieces such as Gerrit Rietveld’s iconic Red and Blue Chair from 1917 which still serves to symbolize this movement today.
This movement had an immense impact on both painting and architecture, drawing from Neo-Platonic mathematical theory’s mystical ideology. Its members sought to create a new form of art that embodied form and function perfectly, leaving its minimalist aesthetic still influential today among artists of all disciplines.
Surrealism
Surrealism was an art movement founded in Paris at the start of the 20th century that relied heavily on irrational imagery and ideas.
Surrealists were disenchanted with the mundane nature of modern life and sought to discover a different perspective. They believed that everyone possesses an original and creative mind which they could express through art.
Max Ernst, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro often used biomorphic images that reflected nature. For instance, Dali’s paintings often included insects or eggs as subject matter.
Surrealism’s key element is the creative use of space. Kay Sage and Yves Tanguy were particularly interested in this concept, blurring their artwork to give the illusion of an infinite sky.
Surrealism was an art movement that had a lasting impact on art fashion. Its symbols of the eye, space and nature continue to inspire many designers today.