Fashion - tra moda e arte contemporanea

Curated by Rita Capuni, Ivan D’Alberto, and Daniele Piccirilli

With FASHION, YAG/garage offers an in-depth exploration of the relationship between fashion and contemporary art in celebration of the XIX Giornata del Contemporaneo AMACI. This exhibition compares the work of seven emerging and very recent creatives.

The event, curated by Rita Capuni, Ivan D’Alberto, and Daniele Piccirilli, involves designers Andrea Clementi, Giulia Mezza, and Saverio Notari, and artists Valeria Ciardulli, Alessandra Condello, Andrea Croce, and Michela Zeppetella.

The first three designers, following the traditional fashion show format, will present two garments each, inspired by works, techniques, and aesthetic experiences belonging to the visual arts.

Andrea Croce, instead, will present a proposal blending the fashion show, performance, and tableau vivant. Alessandra Condello will showcase three video fashion shows where models and garments are the result of artificial intelligence, while Valeria Ciardulli and Michela Zeppetella will present a collective tableau vivant inspired by the Madame Lumiere project, which will involve students from the Liceo Artistico Musicale e Coreutico “MiBe” in Pescara, coordinated by teacher Silvia Pennese.

YAG/garage’s decision to offer this event to its audience is based on the fact that, today, Italian fashion houses continue to revolve around the big fashion industry giants, while for young and very young creatives, it remains very difficult to carve out space and gain recognition in a sector that has a great need for new ideas. When seeking the synergy between art and fashion, opportunities for young creatives to express themselves are even more limited.

FASHION – Between Fashion and Contemporary Art thus becomes an opportunity for young creatives, with YAG/garage serving as a meeting point between two worlds that are constantly in dialogue with one another.

Over the last ten years, art has increasingly become fashion. The two worlds draw inspiration from one another in a fusion of styles, tastes, and trends. As the influence of nostalgia from the ’80s and ’90s increases, the collaboration between art and fashion grows in importance, relaunching both sectors in a contemporary industry that continuously demands new creative impulses and new paths to follow

Many artistic elements have emerged in the collections of brands, thanks in part to collaborations with internationally renowned artists. From high-end brands to major sportswear giants, everyone has jumped on this trend to capitalize on an authentic and highly stimulating movement. One of the most famous examples of synergy between the art and fashion worlds is Gianni Versace, who had collaborations with major contemporary artists, including Pomodoro and Veronesi, among others. These collaborations were not one-offs, but longlasting relationships over time.

When the world of art meets fashion, a union of forms, colors, and geometries is established that interact with one another. It is a constant contamination between two essences, two philosophies, where artists, painters, sculptors, and architects cross paths with fashion designers to embark on new paths of inspiration. Collections become works of art through the eyes of renowned international artists, often called upon by high-fashion houses to design garments and accessories for special limited-edition capsule collections.

What’s the goal?

To create small works of art destined to become iconic design pieces to wear every day. But it is in small domestic workshops, in the basements of apartment buildings on the outskirts of Italy, that young creatives bring true wearable art to life. The biggest issue, however, remains visibility: the opportunity to be noticed and recognized.

The biographies of the selected artists, along with designs and photos of the garments on display in the gallery, will be published in the new general catalog for 2023, which will be presented to the public in July 2024.