Turning Fine Art into Fashion
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Human beauty and nature, linear forms, illusionistic painting, rebirth. You might remember some of these terms from the flashcards you made for your 9th-grade exam on the Renaissance epoch.
You don't have to be an Art History major to deeply appreciate and admire the beauty and profoundness of Renaissance paintings. They offer a combination of colors, light, proportion, detail, harmony, and perspective which just leaves you thinking: “wow.”
And you certainly don’t have to be in front of the original painting to experience the wow factor of Renaissance art. Honestly, just seeing a 1-by-1 inch picture of Boticelli’s Primavera on Google Images still leaves me in awe.
Luckily, viewing art has become universally accessible, even from the comfort of your couch. During the pandemic, museums have begun to post virtual tours on their websites: examples of such tours include the Sistine Chapel, the Louvre, or the Uffizi Gallery. Beyond just admiring these virtual tableaux, you can be inspired... to wear them.
You read that right. In recent years, fashion designers have begun to turn fine art into dresses for the red carpet, bags for a night out, and hoodies for a Sunday. To get an idea of what we’re talking about and to be inspired for your own wardrobe, take a look at some of these Renaissance fashion statements.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
I’ll let you take a breath before we talk about Ariana Grande’s 2017 Met Gala dress. The dress, designed by Vera Wang, was directly inspired by Michaelangelo’s The Last Judgment which adorns the walls of the Sistine Chapel. Looking like she stepped right out of the painting, Grande clearly fit into the theme of that year’s Gala: Heavenly Bodies.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Boticelli’s amazing attention to detail and impeccable technical ability is replicated on this majestic Grafea bag. The Birth of Venus, which depicts the goddess of love and beauty standing on a scallop shell, has been an artistic icon for centuries.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
If you’re looking for an evocative and comfortable sweatshirt for a laid-back day, consider this Caravaggio-inspired crewneck by Bacchus. Depicting the portrait of the Boy with a Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio, the designer’s choice to print it on black textile showcases the artist’s talent to master a combination of light and dark shadowing in the background of his portraits.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Customized shoes have become a perfect way to distinguish yourself if you think that white Air Forces or green-back Stan Smiths have become too generic. To get inspired, check out these Air Forces, where the symbolic image from Michaelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, was painted with talent onto the exterior side of these shoes. If you have the same mediocre artistic abilities I do, you can always customize them online, don't worry.
Renaissance artists have introduced principles — artistic, cultural, and philosophic — that have transcended centuries. It’s been approximately five centuries since the height of the Renaissance, and we still see their work as some of the most emblematic artistic pieces in history — so much so that we’re turning their fine art into fashion.
Strike out,
Writer: Sonria Willis
Editors: Trinity Reilly & Theresa Tulsiak
Notre Dame
