1990

HISTORY OF ART THROUGH RECENT COLLECTIONS OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION DESIGNERS: ISSEY MIYAKE, ROMEO GIGLI, CHRISTIAN LACROIX, KARL LAGERFELD, VALENTINO, GIANNI VERSACE, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER, AND REI KAWAKUBO

The atmosphere of the end of the century, that is, the age in which we live, contributes to the disappearance of clear boundaries between disciplines and expressive media, elevating communication to a new level... a level of exchanging impulses, inspirational motifs, and new interpretations. 
It is within these categories that the dialogue between art and fashion is grounded, or more precisely, between the fashion designer and the work of art as a source of inspiration. 
It is no coincidence that many fashion authorities, throughout their body of work, have created or introduced interventions in materials that stem from the direct or indirect influence of some form of artistic expression. In some cases, the surface of the canvas gains new qualities: volume, a third dimension, and the form of the female body, rather than a simple frame... One of the most famous, and now historic, examples is undoubtedly Yves Saint Laurent's “Mondrian dress” from the Autumn-Winter 1965/66 collection. This particular model, which once provoked many controversial comments and was considered too “artistic,” undoubtedly sparked a revolution, opening up new paths and possibilities... Yves Saint Laurent is a designer who frequently brought his artistic affinities to the catwalk, thereby defining his stance and his view of art as an equal participant in fashion, trend, and taste.
The following season, 1966/67, he launched his pop-art dress depicting the nude body, a direct reference to Tom Wesselmann's “The Great American Nude”. 
In the following years and collections, designs would emerge that incorporated the names of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Serge Poliakoff, Georges Braque, and Sandro Botticelli.
Additionally, other leading designers “admit” that in their creative process, they borrow primary lines, forms, and symbols from the paintings of old masters or contemporary artists, but only to construct a new form, a new visual expression.
The creative process begins with recalling, searching, questioning, and pausing to reflect on the ancient ideals of beauty, proportion, and harmony. As Japanese designer Issey Miyake did in his latest collection, evoking the statue of Niké of Samothrace.
Romeo Gigli's collection encompasses the early Italian Renaissance and its foremost masters, including Piero della Francesca, Andrea Mantegna, and Masaccio. The young Italian fashion designer asserts that the works of these artists serve as an endless source of inspiration.
In his interpretation of his work, French designer Christian Lacroix cannot speak solely of inspiration, as his vision is directly based on the specific fashion characteristics of previous eras, which he combines, merges, and separates according to his own personal aesthetic. But in some cases, he cannot resist copying in detail; in this case, Zurbarán's voluminous dress of “Saint Elizabeth of Portugal”.
In his interpretation of past fashion trends, Karl Lagerfeld references the Empire style, which historically aligns with Napoleon's era. Through one of his collections for the House of Chanel, he suggests that women should emulate Madame Récamier, as depicted in the painting by Jacques-Louis David.
Valentino reinterprets the Secessionist motif of black and white ornamentation by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser in his evening gowns, thereby evoking a sense of remarkable monumentality, power, and elegance.
Gianni Versace was also inspired by the Art Nouveau movement a few years ago. On another occasion, he drew inspiration from Orphism, utilising the geometry of Sonia Delaunay's watercolours to create a series of mini-dresses. The designer demonstrates his inventiveness by recreating Robert Delaunay's painting “Eiffel Tower”, but this only becomes evident when the three dresses are placed side by side in their logical order. 
The young French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, in his latest collection, transforms the classic men's pinstripe suit with a vivid splash of colour, reminiscent of Jackson Pollock's painting “No. 3”. This creates a distinct chromatic-visual sensation, but the overall process also alludes to a broader theme: the contrast between the symbolism of the traditional business suit and Pollock's abstract, energetic style.
Finally, the example of the avant-garde Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo is also intriguing, as she does not take the work of art itself as a source of inspiration, but rather the art scene that influences the creation of the work. She uses photographs of the contemporary painter Francesco Clemente to develop a fashion line and an accompanying promotional campaign.
However, the conclusion is that none of these models can be identified as works of art, although they are related to them. They have an authenticity as objects in their own right, and as such, they reflect the time in which they were created, as well as the language, ideology, and atmosphere of that era. 

Published in the literature and culture magazine Venac, published by “Dečije Novine” in Gornji Milanovac, the biggest publishing house for youth in Yugoslavia.