Wearable Masterpieces: Designers Who Have Turned Fashion into Art

The interplay between fashion and art has given rise to some of the most memorable and influential designs in history. This article explores the pioneering designers who have seamlessly blended these two realms, creating iconic pieces that transcend traditional boundaries.

Pioneering Designers and Iconic Pieces

There are countless talented designers around the world honing their craft, making fashion magic with what inspires them and bringing their garments to runways, in the hope they’ll be the hit of said season. Then there are the trailblazers, the mavericks – the creators who envision at a masterful level, devising unforgettable works of art that just happen to be wearable. Here are just some of the designers who have redefined design and resisted delineating between fashion and art:

Alexander McQueen

Arguably the most genius fashion innovator ever to send their designs down the runway, Alexander McQueen’s shows were an extravaganza to behold. His style eye originated from a background in tailoring – at age 16, he was an apprentice on Savile Row, before becoming a pattern cutter at a theatrical costumiers and for avant-garde Japanese designer, Koji Tatsuno. He was meticulous in his technique, but also intent on subverting fashion’s rules.

McQueen was profoundly influenced by London’s diverse art scene, attending Central St Martins and embracing the BritArt movement – a revolutionary group of young artists producing provocative pieces. His time spent around theater costume was evident in his dramatic fashion shows, where garment artistry met performance. Two of his most memorable creations were the Spring/Summer 2003 ‘Oyster gown’, where layers of silk and chiffon effortlessly floated like an oyster shell, and the Fall/Winter 2009 ‘Horn of plenty’ collection – an examination of consumerism with voluminous garments in black and red shades.

His place as a prodigy within couture was confirmed when over 493,000 people visited the 2015 “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” exhibition at London’s V&A over a 21-week period – at the time becoming the museum’s most visited exhibition.

Elsa Schiaparelli

An OG of fine art–fashion fusion, Italian créatrice Elsa Schiaparelli took surrealism to captivating heights within couture, telling a story through her garments rather than merely concentrating on their aesthetic. Born in Rome in 1890, her creative individualism was born out of constant experimentation, and she turned function into artistry, popularizing visible zippers as a style element and creating the trompe-l’oeil sweater – weaving a collar into the neckline to create the illusion of a bow.

Her carefully curated collaborations began in 1922 when she met Gabrielle Picabia, wife of Dadaist and avant-garde painter, Francis Picabia. Socializing with the pioneers of the surrealist movement, she began to make bold, artistic statements with her designs, embracing the world of couture. Inspired by Picasso, she made gloves with the inside appearing on the outside – featuring red nails, claws and even gills. Her time with surrealist master Salvador Dalí produced the famous and scandalous-at-the-time ‘lobster dress’ as well as the ‘tears dress’, which embodied elements of surrealism with its pink, magenta and black print, rips and contrasting veil.

Iris van Herpen

Clever technology and an exploration of the synergy between science and apparel make up the cornerstone of Iris van Herpen’s designs. The Dutch innovator shot onto the scene in 2007, and four years after founding her label, became the first designer to send 3D-printed dresses down a haute couture runway. Nothing is impossible in Herpen’s atelier, with garment concepts that are ahead of the game, particularly when it comes to silhouettes and materials.

Trained in classical ballet, interpreting movement and human anatomy come naturally to Herpen. Her ‘skeleton dress’ was a structural work of art, made from leather, acrylic and metal and part of the Spring/Summer 2011 “Escapism Couture” collection. Continually inspired by nature, Van Herpen used technology masterfully to create her famous ‘water splash’ dress, using hand molding and transparent acrylic and silicone to create an ethereal vision of 3D printing. Van Herpen’s latest collection, “Architectonics”, returned to reflecting on water and our existence alongside the ocean, with shell shades, laser cutting and marble-textured silicone.

Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake’s elegant, structured designs appear to wrap effortlessly around the body. Once saying that he would never call himself solely a fashion designer, Miyake saw his forward-thinking creations as incorporating a plethora of art and design elements. In his early career, he sketched for Hubert de Givenchy, but it was the prominent 20th century sculptors he encountered in Paris that really set the scene for his seminal work, especially Constantin Brâncuşi and Alberto Giacometti.

An early technology trailblazer, the late ‘80s saw Miyake maneuver textiles in inspired ways, resulting in the “Pleats Please” line in 1993. Originally a capsule range, it became a brand of its own, and had a precision that played into Miyake’s love of origami and the folding art’s ability to turn from basic to beautiful. The “A-POC” (A Piece of Cloth) series followed in 1997 incorporating impressive technology, where fabric was produced from a single thread through computerized and sustainable weaving.

Exploring Eras and Themes in Wearable Art

Surrealist Influence

The 1920s and 1930s saw the emergence of surrealism in art, and fashion soon followed. Upending reality, finding beauty in the unexpected and embracing daring takes on fantasy and the subconscious resulted in some of the most extraordinary garments of the time.

A meeting of minds came to be when Man Ray, who mastered the manipulation of light to produce dreamlike photography, and surrealist icon, Salvador Dalí, collaborated with provocateur Elsa Schiaparelli. The result was pieces like the upside down ‘Shoe Hat’ and the 1938 “Astrology” collection, complemented by Man Ray’s celestial photography.

Futurism and Technology

Fashion, fine art, and technology should know no creative boundaries, is the message conveyed through the designs of Issey Miyake and Iris van Herpen. Although they were born almost half a century apart – in 1938 and 1984 – their respective approaches to futuristic design and the limitless potential of technology are similarly groundbreaking.

Miyake made wearable art using his own patented technology – the heat-pressed permanent pleating technique – as well as developing a 3D Steam Stretch where heat-reactive thread forms unique garment shapes. Iris van Herpen has also taken 3D printing to new heights, collaborating with leaders in science and engineering to create new materials and utilize advanced software in her couture laboratory.

Nature and Sustainability

Creators from every realm of the fashion universe now see eco-conscious design as vital. Van Herpen is a prime example, with many of her collections themed around nature, and made from biodegradable and recyclable materials. Sustainability and nature are also symbiotic in the designs of the late Vivienne Westwood – who used upcycled and organic fabrics alongside her motto, “Buy less, choose well, make it last” – and environmentalist Stella McCartney, who pioneered a sustainable faux fur using plant-based ingredients.

There has been an increased movement towards ‘biophilic’, nature-influenced design within fashion, with couturiers such as Rahul Mishra continually drawing inspiration from his home in the Himalayan Forest. His pieces are created by local artisans and feature exquisite insects and reptiles, highlighting their importance in our ecosystem.

Cultural Identity and Diversity

Fashion and design can offer a powerful stage for fostering inclusivity and celebrating global cultures with rich and varied garments. Issey Miyake unified eastern and western fashion influences within his designs, while haute couture master Cristóbal Balenciaga spotlighted his Spanish origins with silhouettes inspired by flamenco gowns, and the cuts and colors depicted by Spanish painters including Velázquez and Goya.

At the finale of New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023, designer Edvin Thompson illuminated his Jamaican heritage by turning the runway into a Caribbean festival for his label Theophilio, with red feathered headpieces and bejeweled tops. Meanwhile during the same season at London Fashion Week, Sinead O’Dwyer showcased her dedication to body-diverse casting and inclusive garment shapes.

Couture as Investment

The value of couture works of art has drawn evermore attention over the past decade, with collectors and fans of fashion tapping into clothing and accessories as a veritable investment option. Vintage couture in particular offers not only high quality artistry and fabrics, but a slice of history. Marilyn Monroe’s glittering ‘Happy birthday, Mr President’ dress, designed by Jean Louis, sold for a record-breaking $4.8 million in 2016, and wearable art such as Yves Saint Laurent’s homage to Jean Cocteau can reach selling prices in the hundreds of thousands.

Exploring Wearable Masterpieces Today

There are countless ways to explore the world of couture and its fascinating relationship with fine art. Museum and gallery retrospectives are a great way to get to grips with a designer’s ethos and fashion journey, with The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York examining how fashion can become its own artistic masterpiece. Not everyone can visit The Met regularly, but there are always new exhibitions on fashion to be discovered if you stay up-to-date with local arts and culture listings. Online platforms that link collectors to fashion-oriented galleries and artists are also helpful for research, as is keeping an eye on the designs emerging by season at different fashion weeks.