In 75 eye-popping pairings of designer pieces and the artworks that inspired them, this stylish book reveals the art behind coveted fashion designs.

Long before “collabs” became a buzzword, artists influenced every aspect of the fashion world. This approachable collection compares fashion and art side-by-side to highlight a variety of relationships: inspiration, collaboration, and artists working to create their own fashion or fashion photography.

Art X Fashion introduces readers to designers like Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, who famously worked with artists like Picasso and Dalí in the early twentieth century, as well as to such iconic fashion moments as Yves Saint Laurent’s 1965 homage to Piet Mondrian. Art and fashion pairings including John Galliano (inspired by Tutankhamun’s death mask, Arcimboldo, Gustav Klimt, and Hokusai), Guo Pei (inspired by Velázquez), Margiela (inspired by Gaugin), and Iris Van Herpen (inspired by Paul Delvaux), reveal surprising connections. Projects by street artists like Keith Haring and Kaws introduce the era of collaborations, which saw artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami work with Louis Vuitton. More recent collaborations include Raf Simons with Sterling Ruby and Kerby Jean-Raymond with Derrick Adams. Chapters on striking purses and other accessories designed by artists, and artists creating in fashion—including Cindy Sherman, William Wegman, and John Baldessari—round out this fresh and delightful take on fashion design.

About The Author

Nancy Hall-Duncan has published extensively on twentieth- and twenty-first-century fashion, art, and photography, including the groundbreaking book The History of Fashion Photography. Valerie Steele is director and chief curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology.