Legendary Artists and the Clothes They Wore

The author of Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore now turns to artists in this innovative and unique gift book radiant with forty-five fully illustrated profiles of artists whose work and fashion reflect their idiosyncratic style.

Legendary Artists and The Clothes They Wore is a rich, innovative volume for art and fashion lovers alike. Terry Newman examines the work of forty-five legendary artists as it relates to their personal sartorial choices as well as the way in which their art has influenced fashion and lent itself to collaborative work with designers. From Cecil Beaton’s flamboyant, classically tailored suits to René Magritte’s bowler hat to Julian Schnabel’s ubiquitous pajamas. Newman reveals how an artist’s creative spirit is reflected through a signature look, hairstyle, or accessory.

Among the dozens of artists profiled in this stunning collection are Jean-Michel Basquiat; William Merritt Chase; Salvador Dali; Marcel Duchamp; Keith Haring; Hannah Hoch; David Hockney; Robert Mapplethorpe; Lee Miller; Louise Nevelson; Georgia O’Keeffe; Frida Kahlo; Henri Matisse; Elizabeth Peyton, Pablo Picasso; Jackson Pollock; Robert Rauschenberg; Egon Schiele; Julian Schnabel; Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol. Each entry contains a mix of anecdotes, portraits of the artists in their studios with their work, self-portraits, and runway imagery. All are accompanied by quotations from the artists, art and fashion critics, and designers, and little-known facts about the artist’s themselves Also included are entertaining sidebars grouping artists thematically, from those who wear signature hats to those who sport distinctive eyeglasses.

Newman looks at the connection between art and fashion that goes back a century. To appeal to a younger audience as well as trend-setters, legacy brands have collaborated with fine artists and other designers. The book examines these artful influences and relationships: Kanye West’s work with Vanessa Beecroft on Yeezy; Douglas Hannant’s sequined dresses influenced by Jean Michel Basquiat’s paintings; and Riccardo Tisci’s relationship with a muse, performance artist Marina Abramović, who he featured in Givenchy print advertising during his tenure there. But these partnerships are not exclusive to our time. The book also looks at the way in which Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated with Jean Cocteau and Salvador Dali on trompe l’oeil dresses and hats, and how Piet Mondrian’s geometric, primary-colored paintings fueled the creation of Yves Saint Laurent’s now iconic collection of shift dresses in the 1960s.

Using beautiful portraits, artwork, and fashion photography Newman offers a fresh look at art and fashion that illuminates the connection between both creative forms and deepens our understanding of these two influential aspects of culture.