Details at Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Spring 2017 | Pastel pink Iris
Inspiration can strike at any time and from anywhere. Often, these influences don’t go unnoticed; they make their presence known in even the most subtle ways. Fashion is one field where we can often see the direct connection between the clothing and its initial vision. Bianca Luini documents fashion inspiration in her aptly-titled blog Where I See Fashion (WISF). Through her keen and observant eye, she creates side-by-side comparisons of avant-garde ensembles with the sources that have undoubtedly influenced them.
Luini demonstrates that nature, art, and photography, are intimately tied to designing clothing. Sometimes, the connection is obvious. A dress from Margiela’s 2014 haute couture collection boldly references Van Gogh’s 1889 painting, Irises. Other times, however, the fashion inspiration is merely hinted at—like the styling for The White Story, photographed by Matilde Travassos. Here, the striking eye makeup captures the essence of a frozen waterfall in Aspen, Colorado. Whether the fashion designs take straightforward cues or abstractly resemble an influence, Luini’s ongoing project reminds us to keep our eyes open for these types of exciting possibilities.
Like inspiration itself, WISF was born from another project. Luini explains, “I was doing image research for a uni[versity] project, when by chance I saw two pictures near each other and I suddenly noticed they were related somehow. Since then I couldn’t stop noticing similarities in other pictures all over the Internet, so I decided to organize them by pairing them.” WISF began in 2013 and continues today, with 377 matches made.
Created in 2013, the blog Where I See Fashion shows the powerful link between the natural world and fashion inspiration.
Picture by Clive Arrowsmith, 1970 | Tall Bearded Iris (Iris Let It Rain)
Details at Gucci Spring 2017 | Jellyfish
Details at Atelier Versace Fall 2016 | Genevieve’s Wave (detail) by MATTHEW CUSICK, 2014, inlaid maps on panel
Details at Thierry Mugler Spring 2013 | Agate (series) by Paul Juno
Details at Francesco Scognamiglio Fall 2015 | Sunset in the desert
Lady Gaga photographed by Nick Knight and styled by Jessica Diehl for Vanity Fair September 2010 | Could study by John Constable, 1822
“The White Story” photographed by Matilde Travassos for Vision China | Frozen waterfall photographed by PIA VALESCA in Aspen, USA
Details at Chloé Spring 2010 | Rough Sea series (photo detail) by Giovanni Allievi
Details at Loewe Spring 2017 | La malédiction (detail) by René Magritte, 1963
Valentino Pre-Fall 2015 | Solar System painting by unknown
Details at Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2012 | Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth, Germany
Details at Gucci Spring 2016 | Split Leaf Philodendron
Maison Margiela Haute Couture Fall 2014 | Irises (detail) by Vincent van Gogh
Details at Gucci Spring 2017 | Jellyfish
Marchesa Spring 2017 | CONTROLLED BURNS (series) by Kevin Cooley
High fashion also draws inspiration from abstract elements…
Chloe Norgaard photographed by Terry Richardson | Fluid Painting by Mark Chadwick
Fluid movement…
Shoes at Christopher Kane Fall 2016 | Painting by James Nares
…and food.
Details at J.W. Anderson Fall 2013 | Onighiri (おにぎり)
Where I See Fashion: Tumblr | Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [Design TAXI]