Sherman Questions IX

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled #408, 2002
2. Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2010

With the staging of tasteless women in shiny, ruffled evening gowns, Sherman finds herself united with Marc Jacobs and his incisive collections. Alternating between grey wallflower minimalism and an explosion of tackiness.
/HORST

Image credits Cindy Sherman, Catwalking

Sherman Questions VIII

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled (Balenciaga), 2007
2. Roberto Cavalli Spring/Summer 2004

Another image from the infamous yet untitled Balenciaga series. But this time, Sherman's outfit feels rather Cavalli-esque. A nod from the art of high fashion to the blonde ambitions of Barbie couture?
/HORST

Image credits Cindy Sherman, Catwalking

Sherman Questions VII

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled (Balenciaga), 2008
2. Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2007

Indeed, Sherman carefully picks the clothes that are depicted with her characters. And it is not by coincidence that six portraits solely feature head-to-toe Balenciaga - as they follow the invitation by Nicolas Ghesquière. In return, the Fall/Winter 2010 collection includes printed shirts and dresses featuring quotes appropriated from Sherman reviews and interviews published in art magazines.
/HORST

Image credits Cindy Sherman, Catwalking

Sherman Questions VI

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled #157, 1986
2. Madeleine Vionnet 1930s

Sherman's images of ugliness reach their climax with a 1986 character transformation. The woman is transformed into an antropomorphed hybrid, recalling motives of ancient mythology. Of course, this jinxed figure is posing in an historical archive piece by Madelaine Vionnet, a woman known for dressing puppets.
/HORST

Image credits Cindy Sherman, Unknown

Sherman Questions V

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled, 2000
2. Givenchy Spring/Summer 2011

The sinister side of Sherman is perpetuated by the self-portrait of a red haired woman in a black negligée, presumptive inhabitant of a trailer park (where suburban Grunge and Goth meet). If Sherman's woman is a rich, subversive beast, her character would wear Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci.
/HORST

Image credits Cindy Sherman, Catwalking

Sherman Questions IV

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled #129, 1983
2. Prada Fall/Winter 2006

Melancholic women, beaten by their fears and the eternity of life. The will to create is mostly motivated by the artist's urge to achieve immortality. While art is still said to posess the strength of eternal elevation, fashion (and in particular campaign imagery) is doomed to a short life span per se.
/HORST

Image credits Cindy Sherman, Steven Meisel

Sherman Questions III

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled #225, 1990
2. Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2007

One example of incorporating fake body parts and creating a moment of exhibitionist shock. In this regard, Sherman does not only quote the iconic image of Virgin with Child, she also appears close to Jean Paul Gaultier and his skin flashing runway moments. Not rarely quoting symbols of religion and holiness. By offering her right breast and wearing the black lace of a sinful widow, Sherman is bearing the cross.
/HORST

Image credits Cindy Sherman, Catwalking

Sherman Questions II

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled #400, 2000
2. Lanvin Fall/Winter 2008

While exploring the decadent side of the rich and Botox-injected, Sherman also uses body parts to create her characters. Consequently, she dresses up as a doll in a literal manner. And reflects on a culture of 'all that money can buy'.
/HORST

Image credits Cindy Sherman, Catwalking

Sherman Questions

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled #122, 1983
2. Maison Martin Margiela Spring/Summer 2009

Glamour girl, art billionaire and woman of the year. Images and words will never capture this complex multi-personae. Thus, I will focus on a character study through the means of fashion: Who is Cindy Sherman? And who would she be wearing?
/HORST

The Craft VIII

1. Olle Olsson Hagalund Målaren och Änglarna
2. Yohji Yamamoto Fall/Winter 2005

The craft of naive art. Nourished by an extreme sense for balanced imperfections and hidden, impish details. Yohji Yamamoto's graffiti coats appear as being painted by the dreamlike gesture of Olle Olsson Hagalund. In this sense, two masters and their creations evoke an implicit brotherhood between Sweden and Japan.
/HORST

Forbidden Smell

Comme des Garçons Series 6: Synthetic

They are finally back: socially incorrect fragrances based on man-made places and materials of daily life. My left wrist still smells like 'Garage' and my right wrist like 'Tar'. A mix of lauriel aldehyde, traces of kerosene, leather notes, plastic floral notes, vetiver acetate and chinese cedar wood.
/HORST

Postpone, Repost

Jacket Tillmann Lauterbach
Top Balenciaga
Trousers H&M
Shoes Raf Simons x Doc Martens
Sunglasses Persol
Bag Mulberry

Although these images were taken a while ago, back in Antwerp by This Is My Suit, they suddenly came to my mind again. It's less about the clothes, the leather pants, or myself, but more about this wonderful time in a city that became very dear to my heart.
/HORST

The Camp Of Plagiarism

a) Mona Lisa, 1504-1518
 

b) Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, 1862


c) Gabrielle d’Estrées et une de ses soeurs, 1594
Mario Sorrenti for Yves Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 1999

In few cases, copying induces in beautiful plagiarism. We are all aware of the original masterpiece and still there is a noticeable, very attractive element of intrude. Adding a certain something that doesn't belong to the iconic image.
/HORST

The Craft VII

a) letters



b) layers


c) leaps

1. Raf Simons Spring/Summer 2009
2. Mihara Yashuhiro Spring/Summer 2012
3. Yohji Yamamoto Spring/Summer 2008

Fragments and separated letters, spread over garments. Once layered onto each other, they become complete. In few cases, they even evolve into full grammatical statements, sentences or even political messages.
/HORST

Ani/Mate III

(Women's edition)



1. Sailor Moon Chibiusa as Black Lady
2. Givenchy Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011

Completing our recent Manga trilogy. When the idea of Anime mass production/consumption is challenged in haute couture by Riccardo Tisci. And doesn't it feel so current with Steven Meisel taking on twitpic and Nick Knight launching the first instagram shoot?
/HORST

Ani/Mate II

1. Barazoku ('Rose Tribe') NO. 19
2. Pierre Debusschere RS-RE 1 : AS

Raf likes to work with Pierre and I like to work with duplicates. Episodes of the subconsciously discovered and repeatedly recurrent. Even to myself it is a phenomenon what pairing will be next.
/HORST

Ani/Mate

1. Yoshihiro Togashi Yū Yū Hakusho
2. Raf Simons 1995 Spring/Summer 2012

My newly reawakened love for Manga and Anime, reflected in a former, long-time established love for 'the one' menswear brand from Antwerp, Belgium. In this case, the love becomes manifest in Toyko Pop.
/HORST

Reassembled Resemblance

1. Jocelyn Hobbie
2. Kathy Butterly

What I like about this combination is the meatiness that transcends from fine art to deconstructed ceramics. These compositions almost leave the feeling of perfect bodies melting into undefinable structures.
/HORST