Conceptual artist John Baldessari is known for combining photographs with paint: in some of his most famous works such as "Connecting Dots" the heads of the people portrayed in a black and white image are concealed with colourful red, yellow or blue spots, the striking colours contrasting with the drabness of the photograph.
From an art point of view, Baldessari's palette may seem to remind the Russian painters' colour schemes and in particular Aleksandr Rodchenko's monochrome canvases dated 1921, "Pure Red Color", "Pure Blue Color", and "Pure Yellow Color".
Yet while Rodchenko and the Constructivists were celebrating in this way the death of the old forms and setting onto a quest for new ones, Baldessari's main aim is that of confusing the perceptions of the spectator.
By adding the dots and erasing in this way the faces of the people in the photographs, Baldessari adds indeed a layer of anonymity to the black and white image, giving an aura of universal validity to the statement made by the picture.
Baldessari is the main inspiration behind Nina Donis' S/S 18 designs: you can easily spot his palette in the red, yellow and blue shirts and shorts, decorated with minimalist dots included in the collection.
The clothes are characterised by practical and simple shapes that combine Liubov Popova's sportswear, Vladimir Tatlin's work outfits and Nadezhda Petrovna Lamanova's designs made in collaboration with artist and sculptor Vera Mukhina.
The whole is obviously mixed with a contemporary dynamicity, a passion for art and an obsession with postmodern bands à la New Order (Nina Donis' electric blue shirt and skirt is be the perfect uniform for a "Blue Monday" mood…).
Other decorative motifs in the collection – scattered on long shirt dresses or separates such as vests and trousers – include an abstract floral motif and a silhouette of a dog that looks rather surreal when applied on long skirts and dresses, giving the impression the pet is standing next to the wearer.
The modus operandi of the duo has remained consistent throughout the years: they take an inspiration and deconstruct it rather than blatantly copying it, and they are therefore not afraid of revealing to their public what moved, influenced or pushed them to tell their story.
Hence the lookbook points at Baldessari's "Person with Guitar (Red)", his "Noses & Ears, etc" series and "Eight Colourful Inside Jobs: Blue", works blending elements borrowed from Pop Art, Surrealism, Dadaism and Conceptual art.
Yet there is another connection with Baldessari that does not stop to the colour palette: the duo erased indeed the face of the model in their lookbook and that is where the final meaning of the collection stands.
Nina Donis are telling us to add our face there rather than showing us how well a celebrity or an influencer would wear their stuff. They remind us that their clothes are not for some people but for a universal consumer who moves, works and plays, a clever consumer who prefers to live rather than to pose. Infusing a bit of art in these designs is just a way for Nina Donis to make the world more fun and beautiful.
There is a lot of talk at the moment about revolutions in fashion, but quite often everything ends up with a lot of promises and with overusing the word sustainability without really believing in it. Then there are those designers who are keeping calm and carrying on with a quiet and anonymous revolution. Nina Donis are among them and that's why they should be praised.
Image credits for this post
Photo: Nina Neretina
Post Production: Svetlana Yaroshevich
Layout: Natasha Ganelina & Dima Pantyushin
Model: Svetlana Yaroshevich
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