2. MUSE
According to Oxford Dictionaries, a
muse is defined by:
“A person or personified force who
is the source of inspiration for a
creative artist.”
Muses not onlyserve as the inspirationfor
fashion designers, but they also urge these
designers to continue creating.At the
conclusion offashion week, designers are
continuallyberated with the question:What
was your inspiration?Although the
inspirationbehindeach individualcollection
might differ, it is important to lookdeeper
into who inspired them to begin designingin
the first place.
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3. Muse and the Artist
• The relationship between artist and muse is
as complicatedas it is varied. For some, the
muse serves as a source of inspiration to
help aid the creative process. For others,
the muse is a figment of the imagination
that focuses the mind on the task at hand.
• As well as providing stimulus, many fashion
designers choose muses for their body
shape, and in this sense, the muse can
become a literal mannequin.
• Lets explore the link between iconic
designers and their muses, looking at some
famous examples to see how their
relationships worked,
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4. Madonna and Jean
Paul Gaultier
Gaultier's cone bra he createdfor Madonna's
1990Blonde Ambition tour.
The piece launched JPG's career into the
internationalspotlightand solidified the duo's
relationship as designer and muse.
Gaultier would go on to create costumesfor
Madonna'sDrowned, Re-Invention,Confessions
and MDNAtours and Madonnaeven walked for
the designer as a model, most famously in his
Spring/Summer1995collection.
The cone bra grabbed the public’sattentionfor
the way in which it rebelled againstthe narrow
definition of the beautiful female body that,for
so many centuries, had been dictatedby
corsetry’sbody-morphingstrictures.
In place of the soft curves the corsetwas supposedtoshape,the
female anatomybecameaspiky, phallicweapon,one that
Madonnacelebratedby exertingherdominance,sexualor
otherwise,.
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5. “I was a big fan. She knew what she wanted—a
pinstripe suit, the feminine corsetry. Madonna
likes my clothes because they combine the
masculine and the feminine.”
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6. Audrey Hepburn and
Hubertde Givenchy
It is said that the couturierhad fallen under her
spell, or, as he put it, “her beauty, personality and
lightness of spirit”.
Known for her timelessness and grace,the creative
mind behind some of the Britishfilm star'smost
famous looks would be the aristocraticFrench
designer. Hepburn would be Givenchy’smuse and
friend for over 40 years, stating,“His are the only
clothes in which I am myself.He is far more than a
couturier,he is a creatorof personality.”
priya mishra fashionmentor
8. Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly,dressed in the iconic
Givenchy little black dress, eating a croissantin frontof
Tiffany's(Screen) from the film BreakfastatTiffany's,1961
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9. Hepburn with Givenchyin a wedding dress designed by
the Frenchcouturier for the film Funny Face (1957)
Audrey Hepburnin Chantilly
lace dress with matching
mask by Givenchyin How to
Steal a Million (1966);it is
said thatfor this film,
Hepburnhad suggested
creatinga mask to go with
the dress,to which
Givenchyhadreplied that
he didn't do masks, as they
were too carnival;
nevertheless,themask was
created,solelyfor her sake,
and it ensembleremains
one of the actress'most
memorable,even today.
10. Stella McCartney
They say the apple doesn'tfall far fromthe tree,
but what if your parents hadzero senseof style?
According to Stella McCartney, her mom and
dad's lack of a fashion sense is what inspired her
to pursuefashion.
"My parents were pretty uninterested in
fashion; it justwas partof whatthey did. I think
that's why I was so visually inspired by them —
because their fashion sensewas not strategic or
overthought," McCartney shares. "Itcame
naturally, the whole mix between old and new
and glamorous and timeless… I think the fact
that my parents weren'tconventional—
especially considering their position — had a big
influence on the way that I conduct myself now
in design and business. Ithad a huge impact on
my wanting to do something a bit more than
justdesigning a pretty dress and putting it on a
runway and making it glamorous."
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12. Meghan Markle's high neck halter gown
Followingher weddingto PrinceHarry in May2018,
the Duchessof Sussex swappedintoa McCartney
gown (pictured)forher eveningreceptionat
FrogmoreHouse
Amal Clooney's classic jumpsuitand
oversized hat
Amal Clooneyboasteda
McCartneynumberat the
startof her wedding
weekend to actorGeorge
in 2014.
Lookingcharacteristically
chic,she donneda cream
short-sleevedtailored
jumpsuit,featuringa black
waistbandandteamed
with an oversizedhatas
she arrived for her civil
ceremonyin Venice.
priya mishra fashionmentor