The first comprehensive exhibition of Gustav Klimt’s work
ever staged in the UK opened yesterday at Tate Modern, Liverpool. 
The
exhibition explores Klimt’s role as leader of the Viennese Secession and
features Klimt’s paintings and drawings, but also explores design and life in
early 20th Century Vienna through chairs, tables, cutlery and even
toilet tissue holders.
Fans of Klimt shouldn’t miss the exhibition, but also
fashionistas will find it very interesting. Klimt - who designed dresses for his
partner, the couturier Emilie Flöge, and was in turn influenced in the
colours and motifs of his paintings by her textiles - is one of the most quoted
artists for this year’s Spring/Summer and Autumn collections: the blues and violets of Roberto Cavalli’s floral print silk
dresses remind of the painter’s Portrait of Emilie Flöge;
though Galliano’s starting point for his Spring 08 Dior collection was the
black velvet, low-cut gown and the attitude of Virginie Amélie Gautreau as portrayed in John Singer
Sargent’s Madame X, his most sensational creations sparkle with the gold
swirls and geometric patterns of the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer and The
Kiss, and with the vibrant reds and the lavish gold of Hygieia in Medicine. 
Klimt’s gold illuminates also Oscar de La Renta’s strapless floral chiffon
embroidered dress for his Autumn 08 collection, Anna Sui’s metallic lame
dresses... 
...and the rich embroideries of Julian Louie’s tops and evening wear for the Australian Wool Innovation’s Protégé Project.
Fancy knowing more about the connections between art and fashion?
Check out my piece “Arty Fashion” on Zoot Magazine, Issue 10, Spring 2008, with pics carefully selected by researcher extraordinaire Manuel Arnaut.
"Gustav Klimt: Painting, design and modern life in Vienna 1900", Tate Modern, Liverpool, UK, May 30-August 31 2008.
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