Not all fashion is art, but the two disciplines are inextricably linked together under the "visual arts" category. In the last few seasons the connection strengthened and morphed with designers borrowing from a specific palette from a trendy painter, reproducing a pleat or a fold originally seen in a famous sculpture, or being inspired by a print by a prominent artist. Finnish Daniel Palillo decided to twist the link a bit and come up with a new collection of both paintings and garments.
Palillo studied painting before turning to fashion, so, rather than borrowing from a specific artist, he decided to return to his own roots, work on his own paintings and then derive his Spring/Summer 2015 collection from them.
The result is the "Paintings About The Fashion World" collection, inspired by works characterised by words, slogans and names - Client, Designers Against Global Warming, Fat Hipster, Twerk, Mr Startup and Street Style - borrowed from the world of fashion and trends.
The style of the paintings varies, so there are hints at Constructivism, Cubism, Surrealism, Pop and Abstract Art, all mixed together. At times Palillo injects the colour palette of his paintings into his designs, at others he applies a specific drawing or graphic pattern to his fabrics.
In some cases the models in his lookbook (their face erased by a fabric mask as Palillo has occasionally done in his previous collections) are the spitting images of his paintings, acting as the physical representation of Palillo's characters, or reproducing his own self-portrait.
There are two key points to make about this collection: the first one is that it could be considered as an anthology of short stories since behind each painting, and therefore behind each design, there is a tale as Palillo tried to give the collection a narrative quality; the second point is that it could almost be considered a ready-to-wear take on haute couture.
Some of the handmade garments are indeed made combining together more than 180 pieces of fabric and will be produced in limited editions of fifty. While not all of us may be able to pull off in style the avalanche of colours, prints and graphic elements in Palillo's designs, maybe this could be a lesson for the fashion industry.
Creating fewer handmade pieces and therefore putting less stress on a creative mind, and more emphasis on quality and on a genuine combination of art and fashion could indeed be a viable option for a fashion industry going towards the implosion, as proved by the extremely packed and unhealthily hectic schedule of New York Fashion Week.
Daniel Palillo's "Paintings About The Fashion World" will be showcased at the International Playground Showroom, 463 Broome Street - Lower Level, New York, NY 10013, USA, 8th - 15th September 2014, and at the Daniel Palillo Showroom, 45 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris, France, 28th - 30th September 2014.
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