Continuing the thread started with yesterday’s post, let’s focus today on further religious inspirations in fashion, analysing three different examples.
The first example is a chasuble created in 2005 by Italian designer Nanni Strada (one day I will definitely dedicate a post to her, promise!).
For over 40 years, Strada carried out extremely important projects and researches that merged fashion with architecture, creating experimental garments and accessories.
For this sacred garment she took inspiration from Medieval vestments and gothic architectures, but employed technologically advanced techniques to make it, coming up with a laser-cut chasuble in crêpe de chine polyester with a gold cloth inner layer.
The designer created therefore a contrast between the original inspiration and the techniques employed to actually make the garment that in its shape, colour combination and minimalist cut out motif wouldn’t maybe look out of place on the set of a sci-fi film.
Contrasts characterised also Versace’s Byzantium-inspired designs.
I actually mentioned the latter a while back in a post about Christopher Kane’s A/W 10 collection, so let's try to rediscover them a bit.
Versace reworked in some of his collections from the early 90s monumental crosses and elements inspired by the Ravenna mosaics.
His interest in heavy metallic embroideries found an affinity in the opulent and gilded Byzantine mosaics.
The designer created contrasts by decontextualising Byzantium’s traditional gold, transforming it into a glamorous material for sensual designs that, delighting in excess, verged towards the kitsch.
A Virgin and Child image borrowed from Byzantine mosaics was transformed for instance by Versace in a polychrome beaded and embroidered decoration for a halter top that included beads, stones, braids and golden lamella spirals (Autumn/Winter 1991-92 collection - see third image in this post) matched with a motorbike leather jacket emblazoned with colourful crosses.
Icons and crosses also characterised the screen-printed twill scarves (part of the same collection) that featured 23 rich and bright colours.
The Greek cross motif came back a few years later, in Versace’s Autumn/Winter 1997-98 collection, in black leather dresses with asymmetrical necklines and in his evening gowns in gold-tone oroton.
The latter could actually be considered as the best transposition of the Byzantine mosaic imagery into fashion.
At the same time this design represented one of the first successful experiments in transforming Medieval armours into contemporary fashionable designs.
The third example in this post requires a short explanation about Catholic processions.
It’s not rare to see during religious processions in Italy, statues of the Virgin Mary or of a particular saint entirely covered in little gold objects, or wearing a sash on which different medals are pinned.
The gold objects – from necklaces, to pendants, bracelets and earrings – are tokens offered by a believer for a grace received or are sometimes objects that belonged to somebody who recently died and are therefore offered in their memory.
In the picture posted here you can see for example the procession in honour of Our Lady of Loreto in Capracotta, a village in the Molise region.
I first saw this procession when I was a teenager and I still remember I was totally fascinated by the statue’s costume, hair and gold objects since in my hometown I had never seen anything like that.
Now let’s move from religious processions to Dolce & Gabbana’s A/W 10 collection.
Quite a few collections presented by designers during the latest edition of Milan Fashion Week had one aim, re-establishing Italy at the forefront of the fashion world thanks to its sartorial traditions and quality.
Bearing in mind these two reference points, Dolce & Gabbana opened their catwalk show with a black and white video of their team working in immaculate couture coats.
Reinventing their timeless classic designs, going back to their roots and traditions, the duo took a step back into the past to get a glimpse of the future.
Models walked down the runway wearing sharply tailored jackets, skirt suits and sensual black dresses from the D&G archives.
Religion and the design duo’s Sicily – albeit in its fictional version populated by sensual widows with Monica Bellucci’s body (the sort of Sicily that magnificently works at retail level and that made the design duo’s fortune abroad...) – were prominent.
Years ago the duo turned rosary beads into necklaces, but for the next season they went for Miraculous Medals, images of a sorrowful Virgin Mary and of Raphael’s cherubs (the sort of medals you were given as presents for your First Communion decades ago – now it’s all about getting the latest model of mobile phone…) transformed into earrings or pendants for necklaces or pinned on tops, bodysuits, jackets and handbags in the fashion of votive offers pinned on the garments of holy statues.
Gold and silver heart-shaped pendants calling back to mind ex-votos were instead pinned to the waist creating draped motifs on burnt red and oil green velvet dresses (for ex-voto fashion and inspiration, please revert to this previous post – I think D&G must have see Bizet's Carmen at Milan's La Scala last year while creating this collection...).
I hope this post has provided you with further ideas about how religious art, architectures or traditions can inspire fashion design.
Decontextualisation in all these example is of vital importance, but if you want to push a little bit the boundaries go Roberto Capucci’s way: as remembered in a previous post the Italian designer disassembled phosphorescent rosary beads and incorporated them in some of his designs from a previous collection.
Capucci's religious decontextualisation remains my favourite: I’ve always had a soft spot for phosphorescent rosary beads as they were extremely popular when I was a little girl and, growing up in the 80s, I just thought they were absolutely in fashion with the most excessive and kitsch trends of the time (no, it never occurred to me then that they were actually made to pray in the dark...).
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