The pairing of artists and fashion designers continues as a strong trend, with high-profile creators in all genres of fine and graphic arts teaming with design labels. Among the goals: to offer customers an unexpected new look and to encourage followers of both properties to become fans of the other.
A handful of examples from 2018 serve as illustrations:
- RYU Apparel, an urban athletic brand, launched its new flagship store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in December with a capsule collection involving four local artists, centered on each creator’s take on the word “Respect.” The four collaborators included graffiti artist Stash, who curated the project, as well as Futura, CES, and WANE. A collaboration at the label’s Venice Beach location involving five L.A. artists will follow, along with similar ventures at other of the brand’s shops.
- In November, Stacy Bendet’s Alice + Olivia label launched a capsule of ready-to-wear and accessories highlighting the imagery of Keith Haring. The brand has previously paired with other artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Donald Robertson, and Domingo Zapata.
- Calvin Klein joined forces with the Andy Warhol Foundation in a four-year partnership that allows the design label to use the entire portfolio of Warhol imagery, including some works not seen publicly to date. After launching with ready-to-wear apparel and underwear, the label last summer began using images from the 1970s featuring the likenesses of actor Dennis Hopper and one-time Vanity Fair editor Sandra Brant on a four-piece Fiesta dinnerware set and a collection of Pendleton blankets.
A few of many other artist-fashion designer collaborations in the past couple of years have included Wrangler with pop artist Peter Max; Ovadia & Sons with Steven Harrington, another pop artist; River Island with street artist Felipe Pantone; and Milly with artist/photographer Laurie Simmons, the last in a collaboration to support Planned Parenthood.
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