Undoubtedly, fashion is a special form of art: not only can it create something new and set a trend, but can also reference old fashion, artworks, historical events and anything a designer can get his hands on. So, for the spring/summer collection, Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott has soaked up a lot of inspiration from the works of 20th-century Cubist pioneer Pablo Picasso. Notes for the show were quite brief: “Muses inspire artists and artists inspire the world.” However, the show was far from minimalistic.
Scott has taken a lot of Picasso famous works, such as the Harlequin, and turned them into colorful and over-the-top pieces. Dissecting Picasso’s artworks into a set of components and techniques, Scott has incorporated whatever best fits into the brand’s aesthetic. Whereas some pieces mirror only the messy brushwork, producing colorful patters inspired by the artists, other reference separate works, turning them into a wearable alternative.
Harlequin with a guitar, created by Pablo Picasso for the world to adore in 1918, is now brought out the gallery and made to parade down the catwalk. Image Source: WikiArt
Bella Hadid walked in the colorful harlequin suit, carrying a fake guitar. The piece is inspired by an iconic painting called Harlequin with a guitar, 1918 and over 100 years after its creation, is reimagined in a new light. Image courtesy of Moschino.
Other models, were turned into their own works of art: painting a stylistic portrait of a girl on a dress and placing it into a sequined golden frame, while another was turned into a Cubist black and white nude, with the model’s head poking out. Fashion as art trope has been visited and re-visited before by numerous brands, such as Viktor & Rolf in 2015 or Versace in 2018. However, Scott has done it in a unique way — and one that fits Moschino’s kitschy designs.
“I wanted to delve into creating what would be the ultimate Picasso woman if you took all this inspiration,” Scott said. Having been an art history major at NYU, he delved deep into the techniques and style of the artist, recreating it so accurately that anyone not acquainted with Picasso’s work will realize that it is the artist that is shining through. What is more admirable, is the variety that is presented — no one piece is similar, although they all do share the messy brushwork details and bright colors.
While some pieces were more ambiguous with their inspiration sources, others took direct inspiration from particular Picasso paintings. It is quite easy to mistake a new Moschino piece for a recently-uncovered Picasso artwork. Image courtesy of Moschino
With this amount of inspiration taken from artists and artistic movements, one question can be asked: “What’s next?” or “Who’s next?” and even though the trope is far from new, Moschino’s new collection goes to show that anything can be interesting and unique when done skillfully.
Featured Image via Patternidy
