Traditionally most designers showcasing their creations at New York Fashion Week are more focused on producing practical and functional garments.
This is easily explained with the fact that American style and fashion always embodied a sense of freedom that usually ends up informing most of the collections presented on the New York runways.
Functionality and saleability are therefore often favoured to craftsmanship and research.
It's indeed very easy to spot in New York a series of collections that look more or less all the same (though they are praised by the American fashion press as perfect examples of minimalism) or that look like updated versions of collections presented decades ago by other designers (but they are politely hailed by the American press as a “progression” in the career of that specific designer they are supporting).
As a consequence, many designers showcasing in New York rarely reference a painter or artist as the inspiration for their works, though, every now and then, the starting point of a collection is identified as a film, a visit to a museum or a book.
Wayne Lee was among the very few designers who showcased their collections at NYFW in the last few days that mentioned as the main inspiration for her collection art and, more specifically the oil portraits by German-born Flemish master Hans Memling who lived in the mid-1400s.
Memling was more famous for his works focused on sacred subjects and inspired by his master Rogier van der Weyden.
The artist also seemed to have a special talent for portraying little details such as miniature figures, landscapes and costumes.
In his portraits Memling also displayed great skills at choosing colours and creating graceful compositions (think about the "Portrait of Maria Portinari" or his "Mater Dolorosa").
Wayne Lee’s Autumn/Winter 2011-12 collection moved from Memling but also looked at Renaissance interpreting the latter as a symbol of rebirth after the obscurantism of recession and the crisis.
The models with their heads covered in hoods called to mind Memling’s portraits of veiled ladies or of veiled nuns praying in the Saint John Altarpiece, but the main palette for the collection – moving from brown and black to black and white with some splashes of vivid red and therefore showing a transition from darkness to light – seemed to be lifted from the Flemish artist’s “Last Judgement” triptych.
A layered look, but an elongated silhouette prevailed throughout the collection with asymmetric mid-calf wool skirts, draped jersey tops and long vests matched with leather jackets and doublets recreating a sort of urban version of Renaissance garments, with a hint at empowerment and strength.
As a whole Wayne's collection didn't really display a complete lack of emotions, yet the designer seemed to commit the same mistakes critics spotted in Memling’s works.
Art historian Erwin Panofsky once wrote about Memling: “He occasionally enchants, never offends, and never overwhelms. His works give the impression of derivativeness."
In a way the same could be said about this collection: while it was interesting to see a young designer reinventing Renaissance in a modern key, at times the designs left you cold and it was possible to spot a certain derivation from other recent collections (such as Rick Owens'). The quest for genuine art inspired collections at New York Fashion Week continues.
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Posted by: tuxedos | July 15, 2011 at 04:25 AM