Art as a medium to redefine fashion’s essence of modernity

Jonathan Anderson is a master when it comes to the relationship between fashion and art. For his Fall/ Winter 2022 women’s show, he collaborated with British sculptor Anthea Hamilton in order to create a collection which literally broke the borders of Surrealism. But he didn’t stop at this. In his Spring/Summer 2023 menswear collection for Loewe, he explored the relationship of fashion with reality and technology ‘’judging’’ in a very arty way the entrance of the world into the metaverse era and the concept of reality which starts to fade away - collaborating with young artist Paula Ulargui Escalona on having living plants on fabrics. For his latest offer to the fashion world, Loewe’s creative director messes with reality for once again. 

This time he’s thinking forward by focusing on lines, colours, and shapes while he questions classicism at the same time. In a season full of sexiness and bare skin Jonathan Anderson gets inspired by the sensitivity and attraction of the anthurium – a kind of flower that looks fake but it’s absolutely real – and presents the new type of sensuality as a bold statement about contemporality and modernity. For him, it's all about a twisted idea of classicism in which structured rounded knits are getting supersized while paired with miniature hunting jackets. The normality of T-shirts, shirts and chinos is twisted, padded, elongated and reproportioned. New proportions unfold in an alternative universe in which classicism progresses by becoming something new - a redefined modernity.

For Issey Miyake (the brand) it was the first time since its founder’s death last August. As a designer, Issey Miyake is a pioneer when it comes to movement, art performances and emotions. He was known for bringing joy and evoking surprise to people, things that are rare nowadays in fashion. This collection was named ‘’A Form That Breaths’’ and it was proof that the designer’s affection for innovation, art and joyfulness for life will continue to live on. Of course, the innovation was there with clothes made of 100% plant base materials and fossil-fuel-free polyester. At the end of the show, all the models gave a contemporary performance in which they danced together between giant sculptures, honouring Miyake and his methods of displaying the wearability of the clothes.

The only true thing about Paris Fashion Week is the fact that every time we are going to witness a huge, mind-blowing spectacle that it will have us talking about it in the days after. 5 days later this moment of fashion gossiping and admiration came at night with Coperni’s show. Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant brand’s founding duo and real-life couple’s (married in Greece a couple of years ago) show started pretty much like every Gen Z-focused one. Youthful clothing very emphasised detail like a mini slip dress embroidered with pieces of broken glass and a solid gold bag. All 1kg of this bag was created by an artisan goldsmith named Gabriele Veneri in Italy and the product which apparently had the Midas touch treatment is going to be melted down after the show. Due to the recent events in Iran, the designers dedicated their show to every woman in this world and they did it in the most poetic and arty way. 

After 7 minutes of non-stop catwalk, Bella Hadid showed up almost naked - wearing only a pair of nude undies - while covering her breasts and sitting in front of a spraying machine. Then two men in black showed up and started spraying the model with a sort of white liquid. Soon after a white fitted dress has been created on Bella Hadid’s body and the Salle des Textiles at the Musée des Art et Métiers was full of smiles of joy and sounds of admiration. The spray-on technique was developed by Fabrican, a company founded by Spanish fashion designer and scientist Manel Torres. Fabrican’s liquid contains cotton or synthetic fibres suspected in a solution that evaporates when it makes contact with the human skin. Such a contemporary and modern way to close a show by emphasising the body and innovation – a move that reminds us of Alexander McQueen’s golden years back in the 90s.