Do you think you have what it takes to be a fashion designer? If so, what would inspire you and your designs? As part of the Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style exhibition on view through August 27, 2017, VMFA has developed a sketchbook that guides visitors to focus on six ensembles on display, along with six works of art that can be viewed in other galleries at the museum. The goal of the sketchbook is to find inspiration from other styles and periods of art—just as Saint Laurent did.
The French designer admired contemporary artists, found ideas in art history books, and collected all types of art. He drew from these influences to perfect his own designs.
For example, one of the most iconic of Saint Laurent’s designs is an ode to early 20th-century artist Piet Mondrian’s signature geometric compositions in red, yellow, blue, black and white. VMFA’s collection includes Suite of Furniture (1926), by French designer Félix Del Marle, who was part of the De Stijl, or “The Style,” co-founded by Mondrian. De Stijl artists emphasized the use of primary colors, straight lines, rectangles, and squares. The VMFA sketchbook links these two works, asking visitors to imagine someone wearing the Saint Laurent deciding where to sit in a room filled with the furniture designed by Del Marle.
Other pairings include an ensemble in Saint Laurent’s West Africa-inspired “Bambara” clothing line from 1967 and the museum’s Chi Wara headdress, an early 20th-century work of a Bamana artist from Mali. An evening dress inspired by Tom Wesselmann’s pop art is contrasted with Great American Nude, a Wesselmann work in VMFA’s Mid to Late 20th Century Galleries.
Activities throughout the sketchbook include printed replicas of fabrics used on the six garments. Budding designers can use those swatches as they sketch out their designs on two mannequin drawings in the book. Designers also can use the swatches to assemble their own collection board, which Saint Laurent assembled for each runway show. His boards included a sketch and fabric samples for every garment.
Copies of the sketchbook are available at the end of the exhibition. While the sketchbook is aimed at younger visitors, all guests are invited to explore their own artistic inspiration and design talent.