FASHION’S FOUNDATIONS
The houses that have embraced the art
Ever since Rodolfo Gucci (son of house founder Guccio Gucci) commissioned famed illustrator Vittorio Accornero to create a special scarf for Princess Grace of Monaco in 1966, thereby introducing the now-beloved Flora print, fashion houses have been tapping into the art world with increasing frequency. This has inevitably led to some of the most iconic designs in fashion history, but this increased association with art has also begun to lend an added luxurious touch to the shopping experience. However, it doesn’t stop there. Rather than simply using art as a mere commercial tool, fashion houses are now directly investing in the art industry. Let’s take a look at some of the high fashion houses that have embraced the art world.
THE PRADA FOUNDATION
For over 20 years, the Prada Foundation has been staging contemporary art exhibitions in abandoned venues throughout the city of Milan. Arguably the first of its kind, the Prada Foundation has brought several contemporary artists to the forefront throughout the years, and has even been the mastermind behind projects outside Milan, having commissioned Belgian artist Carsten Holler to create the Double Club – a restaurant and club in London. In 2011, the foundation established a permanent outpost in Venice to showcase its vast holdings of art, and more recently in 2015, it put down roots in Milan. In partnership with Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, the foundation opened a 120,000-square-foot space on the site of an old gin distillery in Milan’s Largo Isarco neighborhood. In a city far more known for its fashion than its art, the complex will undoubtedly become a major international destination for the arts – something Milan could desperately use.
THE LOUIS VUITTON FOUNDATION
In 2014, the French luxury fashion behemoth Louis Vuitton Foundation (formerly known as the Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation) opened its own arts center in Paris. Designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, the project cost a whopping $143 million (although several news reports at the time placed the cost far higher) and sits on the edge of a park known as the Bois de Boulogne. The museum boasts works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gilbert & George, and Jeff Koons. Unlike the Prada Foundation, Louis Vuitton did not separate its brand from its support of the arts – architect-designed handbags are available for purchase, and the LV logo can be seen emblazoned on the building’s façade.
FONDATION D’ENTREPRISE HERMÈS
Hermés’s foundation, formally known as the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès, has been making influential contributions to the art world just like those of its peers, albeit slightly more quietly. Closely related to Hermès’s own mission, the Fondation’s goal is to support artists whose work relates to craft and design. Each year, artists are selected to participate in the brand’s residential program, which sees them work directly alongside the skilled artisans that craft all of the famously-detailed Hermès products. They immerse themselves in whatever artisanal process is of interest to them and have access to the full range of Hermés materials. The result, as you can probably guess, is nothing short of extraordinary, and in 2017, the artists’ creations finally became viewable to the public at the Palais de Tokyo.
While it has been great overall to see fashion houses embrace the art world, some say that they are still playing it a bit too safely. These big fashion behemoths and their foundations have the power to truly disrupt and innovate – something that art itself does from the get-go. Hopefully as time goes on, these foundations will truly harness their massive brand power to bring more people to art. For now, however, any support of the arts is decidedly a good thing, and the well-intentioned efforts of these foundations will surely bring only good things, and beautiful art, in the years to come.
