You've got your fashion in my art!

September 8, 2011 4:39 AM

These are collections of art inspired outfits for women (I, II, III, IV, V, VI).
posted by Brandon Blatcher (28 comments total)

I'd rather wear the actual 1830's/40's dress - though the modern one isn't bad. But what's with the heels? The first three have massive heels, whether it's appropriate or not.
posted by jb at 4:42 AM on September 8, 2011

I think the whole idea behind Polyvore, the platform used to showcase the outfits, is that you create styles using products available online. So I'm guessing she used those shoes because that's the best she could find.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:46 AM on September 8, 2011

I was struck by how well she matched many of the colors and textures. I agree with the comment about the shoes, though; with some of the outfits the shoes seemed somewhat dissonant.
posted by Forktine at 4:53 AM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

I think this is an interesting idea.
But it hurts my beauty-sense on a profound level.
I can see the beauty and the art in fashion from long ago with no trouble at all, SUCH beauty! But the stuff people wear today, shown here, just baffles me. Is there a language spoken here that I don't understand? Or do they really just throw together whatever they find in matching colours? Because I really don't see it. Where's the thread, the IDEA behind it and where's the beauty? I just don't understand.
So, lovely idea. But please oh please not with contemporary fashion!
posted by Zorsha at 5:22 AM on September 8, 2011

I adore this--thanks for posting!
posted by lagreen at 5:32 AM on September 8, 2011

Those shoes gave me vertigo.
posted by the fish at 5:45 AM on September 8, 2011

I have relied on art for the longest times in choosing yarn colors for weaving or knitting. If left to my own underdeveloped color sense I usually end up with garishly ghastly garments.
posted by francesca too at 6:37 AM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

These are great fun; thanks for posting. I don't love a lot of the shoes (though some are great) but the concept is pretty nifty.
posted by pointystick at 6:41 AM on September 8, 2011

Beautiful! Love it
posted by chara at 6:43 AM on September 8, 2011

This one has cemented my belief that Matisse's cutout paintings are responsible for a lot of 80's fashion.
posted by erinfern at 6:50 AM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Granny loves those stilettos.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:51 AM on September 8, 2011

Art is more than color.
posted by Surfurrus at 7:35 AM on September 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

Strange. No Matt Barney.
posted by xod at 7:38 AM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

With some of these the idea is clearly to match the feel or idea of the painting rather than faithfully mimic the dress in the picture: some play with the colors, some go for a sensibility, some for a reproduction.

I don't see a single unifying ethos for the outfit choices, and I don't think this is a flaw.

Just going through them casually I like this one for its fun, witty color choice.

I think this one is a good example of going for a vibe, not a reproduction. It seems that they tried to imagine what a flapper would wear today. (Whether you agree or not, is of course, besides the point.)

This is one of my favorites. It's fun, colorful and young (so it's clownish in a good way) while being stylish and matching the color pallet really well.

Another good one. It's great how they catch the essence of the painting. The shoes and bag are surprising in how well they allude to the elephants.

The only critique I might offer is that many of these outfits would look best on a young women (say early to mid twenties). That's such a small problem, though, it's hardly worth getting bothered about.
posted by oddman at 7:50 AM on September 8, 2011 [7 favorites]

Surfurrus: "Art is more than color."

This is true, and it's hit and miss, but some of these actually quite impressed me with how the textures also matched up. Adding to the fact that they're so, so spot on - I wonder if she used some kind of eyedropper color search tool to create them?
posted by Gordafarin at 7:54 AM on September 8, 2011

I think these are tremendous; if you take these as art in and of themselves, you can excuse the heels as exaggerations which in reality might need to be more practical.
posted by maxwelton at 7:56 AM on September 8, 2011

So I saw the program "What not to wear" for the first time last night. And what struck me is that contemporary fashion has a) too many high heels (3-inch wedges to go to the park with the kids? are you insane?) and b) too many narrow skirts - which look fine on some women, but on round women look awful. A-line, people, A-line - or even full (full skirts are so beautiful).

I swear, one day I'm going to stage a coup of the fashion world, and make them produce flats and A-line and full skirts and nice sleeved dresses (not all of us want spagetti straps). Also women's clothes with POCKETS. Lots and lots and lots of POCKETS. (Why should I have to wear men's pants just to have a place to put my hankie?).
posted by jb at 8:54 AM on September 8, 2011 [4 favorites]

The only critique I might offer is that many of these outfits would look best on a young women (say early to mid twenties). That's such a small problem, though, it's hardly worth getting bothered about.

It's not such a small problem if these were only some of the clothes available in shops. But when they are 90% of the clothes, then it's a problem. Also, make that a young woman who is also relatively thin and not overly modest.

(Okay, I'm overly modest - I don't wear skirts/shorts which end above the knee, and my favorite skirt right now is a maxi (ankle-length). I have no problem with other people wearing shorter stuff, but I'd like the shops to all have a variety of lengths - also sleeved dresses. I'm beginning to seriously think about shopping at the local Islamic fashions place.)
posted by jb at 8:59 AM on September 8, 2011

Rothko
posted by goethean at 9:11 AM on September 8, 2011

jb, you are right that shops have a problematic relationship with real bodies (this isn't an entirely foreign problem for men's clothing). I admit to looking at the collection as more of a project than an advertisement.

Then again, I see nothing wrong with heels in most contexts, and I know women who wear heels to the park.
posted by oddman at 9:34 AM on September 8, 2011

Those shoes gave me vertigo.

This neckline gives me vertigo.

whup -- I think I see the baby crowning!
posted by taz at 11:14 AM on September 8, 2011

I admit to looking at the collection as more of a project than an advertisement.

I'm interested enough in fashion/costume design to be even more excited if these were original designs inspired by historic/art images (like a dress inspired by the mid-19th cent look, but which could still be worn today without looking like a costume). But I understand that is beyond the limitations of the system they are using.
posted by jb at 11:20 AM on September 8, 2011

Oh my god, I will wear these things. Yes I will.
posted by functionequalsform at 11:27 AM on September 8, 2011

The ones of old peasant women, generally from the pre-Impressionist "Realism" school, kinda crack me up. Like dour old nona's babushka becomes fashion when replaced with a kicky knit beret that allows you to say, Yes, the Gleaners were FABULOUS!
posted by klangklangston at 12:37 PM on September 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

this is a fun idea, but some of them are inadvertantly comical. I call this one "old nun weeps for the future of fashion"
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:16 PM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

I'm still waiting for Escher-inspired architecture.
posted by troll at 2:23 PM on September 8, 2011

Beautiful, thank you for posting this. I don't think it's the shoes that are dissonant though - it's the coats. I get that they're included to complete an outfit, but for most of them the silhouettes are distractingly wrong.

What I don't thank you for is introducing me to this $6K dress I'll never own. *sigh*
posted by Space Kitty at 12:46 AM on September 9, 2011

Layaway?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:33 AM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]