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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Image credits Cindy Sherman, Steven Meisel

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'.
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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?
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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.
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Deadlines

Before

Andy Warhol & Keith Haring Untitled (Madonna, I'm Not Ashamed), 1985

After

New York Post February 23, 1987

The irony in an artist's body of work. When media reactions to the creation of pop are quoted by pop art and the result itself is eventually being echoed by the original media again. A case of intertextual reflection on 'the moment' in communication.
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Warhol: Headlines, February 11 – May 13 2012, MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany

Balenciaga Questions XVI

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2012
2. J.W. Anderson Fall/Winter 2012

Back to London. J.W. Anderson chose s silhouette reminescent of an almost religious Balenciaga woman, altering between witch, high priestess and apocalyptic nun. Her eyes hidden, her robe created of hyper technologic fabrics.
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Balenciaga Questions XIV

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2012
2. Topshop Unique Fall/Winter 2012

The hotpant and the boxy jacket. Forming the image of high performance courier girls. Always on the run, always striving for being first. Yet, everything has been done before, has been attempted already.
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Balenciaga Questions XIII

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2011
2. Diesel Black Gold Fall/Winter 2012

A skirt is cut in stiff, overlapping leather panels. A classic shirt is added, fixated with a belt that optically pierces the front. Just an observation. One can either love it or leave it.
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Balenciaga Questions XI

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2008
2. Mary Katrantzou Fall/Winter 2012

And yes, also the visually opulent, the post-Baroque hourglass puppet dress has existed before. Dipped in metallic pastels and endowed with filigree, romantic details, the versions of Mary and Nicolas don't differ much.
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Balenciaga Questions VII

1. Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2011
2. Christopher Kane Fall/Winter 2012

Once again, the presentations of London Fashion Week have attracted attention for their close reference to Nicolas Ghesquière. Possibly unwanted yet comprehensively, strong names of their own right dare to recreate the Balenciaga look. Blatant copy or identity crisis? A (subjective) examination of facts and evidence.
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When Did We Forget About Black Minimalism II

1. Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2007
2. Daniel Turner Untitled 5150

Besides its soothing quality, black material appeals due to its manifold fetishistic dimensions. Black leather, black vinyl. The artist, the teacher and the architect. Altogether chased by their sexual instinct and intentions. Myself included.
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When Did We Forget About Black Minimalism

1. Helmut Lang Spring/Summer 2004
2. Ecole Floating Staircase

When I look up, facing my vis-à-vis, and the person is dressed in black my eyes can rest. I can fully focus and concentrate on the spoken word. Black minimalism gives us comfort, easiness and freedom. We should do it more often.
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The Craft

1. Comme des Garçons Spring/Summer 2012
2. Issey Miyake Spring/Summer 2004
3. Arena Homme + No. 20 Autumn/Winter 2003
4. Raf Simons Spring/Summer 2008

From the forbidden love for tribal to the antithetic affection for graffiti. In particular its appearance aside concrete walls and public transport. And how long have we been waiting. Who is going to follow?
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Substance

Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2008

Most probably the best use of latex in fashion. A sexually connotated material that recently found its renaissance in the Spring/Summer 2011 collection of Raf Simons or the designs of Atsuko Kudo.
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Editor's note For a short history of latex in pop culture, please see Zoo Magazine #32, pages 58-59.

A Short History Of Stripes In Popular Culture II

1. Yohji Yamamoto
2. Cocky Eek Folkert
3. COD by Rami Tareef
4. Wayne Spring/Summer 2012
5. Pierre Soulages

The dynamic stripe: Placed in various directions, this typology creates three-dimensional movement out of the plain surface. The irregularity creates intricate meanders. Calculated chaos as the principle of mathematic composition.
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