Fashion Inspired Artwork for Melbourne Fashion Festival
We’re currently in the midst of Melbourne Fashion Festival: an annual event that takes Melbourne by storm, drawing crowds who are dressed to impress.
Fashion is as much an art form as more traditional fine art, and today we’re celebrating their crossroads. Below, we chat to a few Bluethumb Artists who’ve caught the fashion fever and take a look at their stunning fashion inspired pieces.
An Homage to Fashion Design
Sherry McCourt approaches her art with an eye to building ‘layers of meaning,’ using found materials such as vintage papers to add interest and intrigue to her work. Sewing patterns in particular catch her eye as a relic from the past, and two of her pieces pay homage to the process of fashion design.
Sherry’s piece Vogue Couture is especially celebratory. According to her it “honours every aspect of the fashion industry, from the designer to the pattern maker to the seamstress and the model.”
Vogue Couture by Sherry McCourt.
A Designer’s Outlook
Amelia Millard paints romantic, stunning portraits, for which one of her key inspirations is fashion. According to Amelia, she is always trying to reveal her subject’s silhouette in the best light possible, much like a designer might. “I’m always fascinated by those beautiful silhouettes, what I see as carefully arranged composition, and I try to visualise and romanticise them in a different light.”
One of Amelia Millard’s stunning silhouette portraits, Cat Eye.
Hand Painted Clothing
Perhaps the most obvious meeting point between fashion and art is when clothing is used as a canvas. Artist Caroline Deebie had the opportunity to be part of #UndressRunways, collaborating with designer Kelli Donovan from fashion company Pure Pod. “I had a number of hand painted garments that travelled with her collection across Australia, with support from BMW Australia – something wonderful on my art journey!”
One of the stunning garments that Caroline painted by hand – what a stunning result!
A Timeless Fashion Icon
Speaking of Vogue, artist Anna Farmilo renders the 2008 edition of the iconic fashion magazine, featuring Vanessa Paradis, as minimal and painterly in her piece, VOGUE, Revamped. Unfortunately it has sold, however Anna has many other pieces available and we always welcome commission enquiries.
VOGUE, Revamped by Anna Farmilo.
Fashion Inspired: Little Red Dress
People are an endlessly fascinating subject for artists and that means that many artists inevitably end up depicting fashion choices. This piece, however, Ruby Red Dress by Robyn Gray, places the clothing front and centre. “My inspiration comes from nature, the beach, and everyday scenes of life around us,” says Robyn. “Ruby in the rain – probably just a sun shower – she doesn’t seem to mind. Perhaps she’s happily waiting for someone in her new red dress?”
Ruby Red Dress by Robyn Gray.
Inspired by the Runway
Of course, sometimes the canvas and the runway speak to one another in more subtle ways. Emily Lauro painted this piece, Glimmer, using glistening metallics, feminine florals, delicate lace and soft pastels, and was thrilled to see similar colours and shapes used in Alice McCall’s 2018 New York Fashion Week collection, which she says “combines all the elements I love with such perfection.”
A few highlights from the Alice McCall show at New York Fashion Week.
Glimmer by Emily Lauro.
Be sure to check out our curation for Fashion Week too!
great appearance in article, all great of Melbourne Fashion festival!
Very nice presentation of article. keep it up!