Legendary Artists and the Clothes They Wore

Book excerpt: Whether it’s Cecil Beaton’s flamboyant, classically tailored suits, Frida Kahlo’s love of bright color, or Cindy Sherman’s penchant for minimalism, an artist’s attire often reflects the creative and spiritual essence of his or her work. In Legendary Artists and the Clothes They Wore, fashion authority Terry Newman presents more than forty fully illustrated profiles of masters whose enduring art bears an idiosyncratic stamp—and whose unique way of dress does the same through a signature look, hairstyle, or accessory—and explores the relationship between the two in detail. In that context, this colorful volume also examines the nonlinear sensibility that has always been the name of the game in what is considered modern style. It examines the dialogue between art and fashion as well as noteworthy artist and designer relationships, such as Yves Saint Laurent’s Mondrian Collection, primary-colored shift dresses inspired by the painter’s work, and Louis Vuitton’s numerous groundbreaking collaborations with major artists, a concept initiated by designer Marc Jacobs that not only has launched some of the fashion industry’s most successful bags, made the art of contemporary masters available to the world at large, and been copied widely ever since. Numerous compelling features—anecdotes about the artists and their work; portraits of the artists in their studios; archival photographs; select pairings of fine art and runway imagery; quotations by artists, art critics, and designers—make this a rich, engaging study for fashion and art lovers alike.