Most of us might think fashion is where the trend is made, decisions on what to wear or what not to wear are made. For every latest collection, designers need inspiration, a source where they get their ideas and depict them through the garment. Inspiration comes through an idea, a feeling, an object, sometimes a muse, be it a model that a designer uses and decodes into clothing, bags, and shoes.
The first show that comes to my mind is the Valentino Fall show Paris in 2019 where the infusion of poetry and fashion was received by a standing ovation. Many looks on the runway were brilliantly made through the hands of Pierpaolo Picciolo who collaborated with four iconic contemporary poets including Yrsa Daley-Ward, Mustafa the Poet, Greta Bellamacina, and Robert Montgomery. It was their words that were depicted in every silhouette of Valentino gowns. Additionally, Valentino On Love – a collection of poetry by all the poets mentioned above was given to every attendee.
At a spring/summer fashion show in London, Xu Zhi presented a show inspired by the work of American poet Emily Dickinson—a series of dramatically tasseled, pale garments based on the clothing style of the poet himself as Dickinson had a penchant for wearing white.
Other designers include, Turkish designer Bora Aksu felt so moved by the poetry of Polish-Romani poetess Papusza, also known as Bronisława Wajs. He tells Vogue what specifically resonated within her work. “Gypsy Song Taken From Papusza’s Head was the poem that spoke to me the most. I really felt her sensitivity—longing for settlement in a nomadic community, the isolation she felt. But also her love for nature. I think her poetry has no filter. It’s honest, emotional… Somehow I connected to her and understood her through her poems.”
Alexander McQueen, SS18’s menswear show saw work of Rudyard Kipling’s The Explorer embroidered and printed onto blazers and capes, along with the embellishment of trailing threads. The high-fashion brand is no stranger to poetry as McQueen has used poetry in many of his collections. McQueen’s AW96 show was named after Dante with full of provocative visuals.
Going back in history, in the 1920s, textile artist Sonia Delaunay collaborated with many Dadaist poets such as Tristan Tzara and Joseph Delteil to make a collection of garments in snippets of the poetry, naming it robes poèmes. As of now, the work doesn’t exist, but you can check out the illustrations that show gorgeous, colour-blocked clothes with words written across arms and descending down skirts.
