MENSWEAR DESIGNER

IN THIS PROJECT WE WERE TASKED WITH DESIGNING A COLLECTION TWO OUTFITS FOR MISSONI USING A EUROPEAN ARTIST FROM THE 19TH CENTURY AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. I DECIDED ON THE PROLIFIC WORK OF THE GERMAN ARTIST MARTIN KIPPENBERGER. HIS CAREER WAS SHORT-LIVED BUT THE SHEER AMOUNT OF WORK HE PRODUCED ACROSS ALL MEDIUMS FROM PAINTING TO PHOTOGRAPHY TO SCULPTURE EARNED HIM THE RIGHTFUL TAG AS 'THE ARTIST WHO MADE EVERYTHING'

 

IT WAS THIS VAST AMOUNT OF RESEARCH MATERIAL AND HIS VERY WORK ETHOS, WHICH INTRIGUED ME THE MOST. HIS WORK DEPICTS A LACK OF VANITY PARTICULARLY IN HIS SELF-PORTRAITS WHERE HE IS REPRESENTED WITH AN OVERHANGING GUT WITH NOTHING BUT HIS TRADEMARK WHITE UNDERPANTS ON. HIS WORK RELISHED MANY FACETS OF HUMOUR AND UNPREDICTABILITY WHICH I TOOK INSPIRATION FROM WHETHER THAT WAS HIS CARTOON EFFIGIES DEPICTING CRUCIFIED FROGS, HIS NUMEROUS REFERENCES TO EGGS WHICH VALUABLE IN MY PRINT RESEARCH AND MOST SIGNIFICANTLY THE USE OF WHITE BRIEFS IN RELAYED IN VARYING SCALES AND REPETITION.   

 

HIS SLOUCHY AND CUMBERSOME PORTRAYAL AND AT TIMES COLLARLESS SHIRT PAIRED WITH RED PAINT FROM WHICH HIS ARMS WERE DIPPED ALL DROVE MY DESIGN PATHWAY FROM PLUNGING NECKLINES TO BLOCKING OF SLEEVES WITH COLOUR. THE SILHOUETTE OF MY DESIGNS ALSO STEMMED FRO HIS SELF-PORTRAYAL WHEN I MADE MY GARMENTS TOP HEAVY, BOXY AND KEPT A TAPERED LEG REMINISCENT OF HIS SELF-PORTRAITS GLORIFYING HIS ROTUND FIGURE. IT WAS HIS PLAYFUL AND BOLD WORK DEPICTING CARTOON NOTIONS AND POWERFUL STREAKS OF COLOUR AND FORM WHICH ENABLED ME TO DESIGN A FITTING PROPOSAL FOR MISSONI A BRAND I KNOW RELISH IN KEEN COLOUR PLAYFULNESS.