Prada's collaboration with Chemin

So I was recently scrolling down the Business of Fashion page and came across an article which really intrigued me. This article was about the recent collaboration between the high end brand Prada and the French artist Christophe Chemin. As a lover of all things artistic, cultural and obviously fashion, I couldn't be more obsessed with a collaboration that put all three of my favourite things together to explore new innovations. Therefore, this was definitely a bit of industry news that I could not just scroll past or not make comment about!

The collaboration of artists and fashion dates all the way back to the libertine days of the 1930's and 40's in France when bohemians took over the cafes of Parisian society. Artists such as Marcel Vertès were imagining whimsical prints for Elsa Schiaparelli’s designs, whilst Salvador Dalí was accenting them with zany hats and lobster dresses. However, fast forward to 2016 and this creative flow is still commencing in new alternative ways and the taste makers of the 21st century are trying their best to challenge the likes of Warhol, Man Ray and Van Gogh who are only a few whose art has been continuously used as a muse in fashion.

The collaboration between Prada and Chemin was showcased at Prada's Fall 2016/2017 collection this year in Milan and communicated a combination of visions channelling psychedelic dreams, fantasy, mythology and history.

The first painting used by Prada explored the classical contexts of European mythology and the history of art through the symbolism of Greek god's and goddess's which was communicated through Giotto-style still life works, a Fassbinder-inspired fake movie poster ‘Impossible True Love’ and a dystopian fantasy of Noah’s Ark.  This iconic piece of art can be found amongst the designs of both the male and female collections which were embedded onto silhouettes of 1950's styled short-sleeved bowling shirts and baggy sailor shirts for the men and shift dresses, full skirts and brocade overcoats for the women.

As for Prada's second use of Chemin's designs, Miuccia took inspiration from the artists interest in bringing the French Revolution alive through complex seasonal colours. Some of the clothing even had writing across the material saying words such as titles ‘Fructidor’, ‘Floréal’ and ‘Pluviôse’ which all linked to harvesting, the weather and the different times of the year. Therefore both Chemin and Prada's work is not just a collection but a natural experience which tells a story of fashion, art and historical context.


“The artwork was done from the beginning with the knowledge that it would end up being used on clothes. I don’t like the word “prints,” because they are not “prints” — they are artworks that I related to Miuccia’s visual universe and vocabulary, mixing very personal obsessions of mine with ideas that were directly inspired by her. If you look [at] them up close, there are a multitude of Prada references that I incorporated and played with. There was this consciousness of doing something specifically for her: a direct inspiration. For me, it was an extremely emotional experience to see the artwork on the clothes: used, reframed, layered, cut out and patched. The results are very dense and complex, but still accessible. The clothes are extraordinary.” Christophe Chemin



Although this was not Chemin's first ever collaboration with the fashion industry, as the artist has already worked on art performance pieces in Paris with the likes of Sebastien Meunier who is the creative director for Ann Demeulemeester, this was definitely the most public collaboration the artist has taken part in.

Christophe Chemin's 'Impossible True Love' (2015)