When Fashion & Art Unite

Fashion has always been my outlet for freedom. Thinking a little deeper, I have often heard that fashion was an art form. I’m a firm believer that fashion and art are two separate forms of self-expression that are elegantly intertwined. Today, I want to learn more about what happens when fashion and art meet and become one and how this is possible. 

Let’s begin on the runways from fashion month. No matter which season or year, there are always some designs and looks a bit, Avante Garde. Some models walk down the runway in pieces that look like fans or geometric blocks, with others wearing 3D printed masterpieces. Even if there aren’t any strange structures or pieces, some garment silhouettes contain prints and patterns that look like they have come straight off of an art museum wall— filled with abstract lines and colors that make a statement worth noticing and talking about. 

Something that I didn’t think about concerning fashion and art before was that often-times fashion designers are linked to art in some way. Some designers were artists first that found a way to bring the two forms together. In the same way that artists develop shape, color, and textures fashion designers take a very similar approach. Fashion and art both address political and social issues, and putting the two together creates a really beautiful pairing. The two are connected because fashion is an art form.

Paintings and structures are undeniably works of art, but something I hadn’t thoroughly analyzed before is that fashion often showcases art. When designs walk down the runway, it’s obvious that some structures are reminiscent of pieces and architecture that we see in art exhibits, museums, and in real life. Another way that art and fashion meet is when designers are influenced by paintings or other designs and then take the piece from a canvas to a complete garment or line of clothing. Whether the design being worn is a replica of an image or more of an abstract nod, the relationship between fashion and art is there. 

Fortunately, today fashion and art are respectively different, but when balanced and influenced by one another they can come together to create harmonious pieces full of life and meaning. Fashion and art are influential together and apart. Clothing is wearable art that you create. Adding dye and paint to your garment to create a look that speaks to you, or even adding designs with beads, rhinestones, or other trims are ways that you can combine fashion and art to make a beautiful statement that showcased on your body.