Is fashion art? The question has driven conversations and projects for centuries. Now, it’s spotlighted in a comprehensive showcase and catalogue inspired by Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo.
Known for designing shoes for the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, Ferragamo often turned to avant-garde artists of the 1940s and ‘50s for collaborations and inspiration, including Kenneth Noland and Max Ernst. His imaginative work prompted designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Elsa Schiaparelli to do the same.
The book Across Art & Fashion, out this week from Mandragora, traces the art world’s influence on various fashion designers throughout history. It accompanies an exhibition at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo on view until April 2017.
Click ahead to see a YSL dress crafted with Mondrian in mind, a Salvador Dalí evening gown, and a Futurist waistcoat designed for the movement’s founder, F.T. Marinetti.