Wine: So You Want to be a Sommelier?

designers INSPIRED DESIGN

WE ASKED OUR MOST FASHIONABLE FRIENDS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF ART ON THEIR CREATIVE PROCESSES.

BY JILLIAN LAROCHELLE

MIKE FAHERTY, FAHERTY

From an early age I was interested in art and found myself practicing it frequently. I was lucky enough to grow up near New York City, so I had access to some of the world's greatest museums. Early on I was drawn to more classical art styles like Impressionism, but through my education I was exposed to more eras of art and I found myself most excited about the Abstract Expressionistic works of Gerhard Richter. His beautiful use of color inspires me to this day.

When I started following Richter's artworks, it became clear to me that I was mostly drawn to his use of color combinations. As I made my way into the fashion world, I fell in love with designing textiles and creating my own color combinations in prints and plaids, which are found throughout my collections at Faherty. You have to walk a fine line when creating textiles and prints that stand out so that they are still easy to wear with the rest of your wardrobe. When you walk into a museum or gallery and Richter is on the wall, you are immediately drawn to his use of color. But as you get closer, there is an easiness to the color combinations that makes them seem less daunting. That's always my intention when designing our textiles: at first you're drawn to them from across the store, but as you approach them, they become more inviting to wear.

ARNOLD BRANT SILVERSTONE, HICKEY FREEMAN & SAMUELSOHN

I came across this photograph of rock formation called The Painted Desert, a visually wondrous place in the Badlands of Arizona. The band of colors struck me as ethereal. It stayed with me for days and I ultimately designed a whole collection for Hickey Freeman spring/summer 2017 inspired by it with layers of dusty rose, tan and putty.

The arid essence of the desert image naturally led to crafting a looser silhouette, which is a pendulum swing from the previous season. We cut the interior canvas of our jackets on the bias for a fashionable drape. We hand-tailored incredibly light canvases and interlinings for feather-light construction combined with summer’s most exotic fabrications. Silk runs throughout the collection to add quiet strength to tissue-fine fabric and to add a whisper of luminosity.

BRUNELLO CUCINELLI, BRUNELLO CUCINELLI

I have a passion for literature as an art form and really value reading. My favorite and most-read book is Mediations by Marcus Aurelius. I have drawn many life lessons from his words and messages from the stories he writes. I discovered the book early on in my career and it has guided me in my life since. I instantly connected with its messages and the writings have become close treasures.

I have read this book numerous times and continually take away something new each time I read its passages. The foundation of the brand and the collection begins with the philosophies and ideologies that I believe in, many of which I discovered through the teachings of Marcus Aurelius. Just as the great philosophers value legacy, humanity and living a full life, these principles are carried with us as we design the collection each season.

In my mind the most thoughtful and inspirational painting is Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, part of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The two hands coming together is such a powerful image and it talks about anything being possible. It’s motivational as well as beautiful.

But to tell you the truth, our surroundings are our biggest inspiration. We live in a really special location—The Monterey Peninsula—and Carmel in particular is one of the most spectacular places on the planet. Mountains, valleys, oceans in beautiful colors; we call it God’s canvas. The weather patterns are very dynamic, but it never gets extremely hot or cold. We have different people from all over the world visiting at all times. Those factors all influence the colors and styles that make up our collections.

The design process is a collaborative journey between our creative director Mark Calder and his very talented team. We started as a neckwear company and have an archive that houses every design dating back to 1950, also a source of endless inspiration for us.

GIANLUCA ISAIA, ISAIA

My favorite works are the Napoli landscapes of Giacinto Gigante. Napoli is at the heart of everything we do at Isaia. These references are seen in the way we create each piece of clothing: Neapolitan tradition mixed with a contemporary point of view. What I also like about this painter is that he was introduced to his craft by his father, just like I was introduced to sartorial tailoring by my father, Enrico Sr.

The colors in his pieces struck me first. They have a very dreamlike effect, but combine different styles and techniques. I also like that he was a little bit of a rebel amongst the Academy of Fine Arts in Napoli. This makes him very interesting as he did not try to conform his style too much.

Just like Gigante we don't try to conf rm to trends. We like to create new ideas. We stay true to our DNA and don't change everything based on what the industry tells us. We observe what is happening around us, but remain true to who we are. Also, the depictions of Napoli that Gigante created are seen in each of our inspirations for the season. Napoli is always at the heart. We play with color the way a painter does. It’s just a different art medium. o

SEBASTIAN DOLLINGER, ETON

If I had to choose one work of art that really blew my mind I would have to say La Divina Commedia by Dante, and Botticelli's depiction of it in La Carte de l'Enfer. I really didn't know who Dante was or what La Divina Commedia was when I picked it up at 18 years old. It was an Italian version that I bought in London and I could hardly understand anything, but I tried my best. Then I read it through in English online and it was more an experience than just a book. Hard to put words on it.

I would not say that a specific piece of art has inspired me or my work though. I always walk around with my eyes open. Having to constantly come up with new ideas and concepts to develop into mood boards for our brands means that I can’t get stuck too long in one idea.

I wish I could say that Botticelli shines through my collections, but I can't (LOL). However, I always do my best and push myself so that whatever we set our minds on doing, we do it properly and put our hearts into it. In an ideal world I could spend one year on every collection. The hardest thing working in fashion is that it is so cyclic and with this constant need of news, you always feel that there is never enough time. But that's just how it is. Perhaps one day consumption will have to slow down and the world will only focus on producing really well-made stuff that's built to last for a decade. I'm proud that at Eton our goods last for a very long time.