Maison Valentino took to Instagram to unveil their #fallwinter15/16 inspirations pre- runway show Wednesday: Ballets Russes, Australian artist @esther_stewart, geometric motifs, Futurism, Cubism and non-conformist artistic movements.
Maison Valentino’s creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli discovered 26 year old Melbourne painter, Esther Stewart on the internet. Esther, who graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts majoring in sculpture and spatial practice, works with abstract and geometric shapes that experiment with perception, form and a carefully constructed colour palette that clashes, oft resulting in an optical illusion effect.
The runway show, which can be lived streamed on Valentino’s site, saw parkas, backpacks, sweaters and the plush show carpet emblazoned with Esther’s signature single object parts, that when repositioned create a whole new perspective. Post-show, Esther told New York Times reporter Guy Trebay, “It’s huge for me.”
The partnership with Esther follows Valentino’s recent collaboration with designer Barnaba Fornasetti on a line of objects, Chiuri and Piccioli are set to continue working with artists saying, “The idea is to create a community around the Maison with the knowledge that dialog and crossover produce spores of progress. The symbolic connecting thread, is the savoir-faire of Couture, core value and distinctive trait of Valentino.”
@estherstewart @MaisonValentino live.valentino.com/
Credits
Text Courtney DeWitt
Photography Courtesy Esther Stewart and Maison Valentino