Designers and Their Muses

[eternitygoddess]

I dunno, perhaps I just have a very different view of what a muse is. To me, there's a fine line between being inspired by someone's style or persona and being a muse. Muses are longstanding creative and emotional relationships. There's this strange Pygmalion aspect to it, because when you think about it, the only designers with muses are men, and as the names mentioned so far have proven they're gay men.

It's like, if I could create the perfect woman, who would it be. That's the definition of what a muse is, someone who embodies that designer's vision. It's different than taking Amy Winehouse's beehive for a show and snapping a few publicity shots with her.

I guess that's why I don't see a lot of the names mentioned falling into the muse category.

Gianni and Donatella though, that's what I think of when I think of a muse to a creative person.

Excellent post.

Zac Posen stated that Natalie Portman was his muse.

 

[frieda]

Excellent post.

Zac Posen stated that Natalie Portman was his muse.

And now he cites Rachel Bilson as his muse!

 

[kiddokiddo]

Some designers use that word "muse" too much it becomes sinful everybody and their dogs have a muse these days, just because you are inspired by a certain person that particular season or been using that same model for the last 20 shows don't make them muses

Only a few in my opinion qualify as such
Audrey Hepburn for Hubert de Givenchy
Lady Amanda Harlech for Karl Lagerfeld
Sophia Coppola for Marc Jacobs
Isabella Blow for Alexander Mcqueen and Philip Treacy

 

[discothequechic]

Tilda Swinton for Victor and Rolf
Victoria Traina to Proenza Schouler

tilda swinton, oh i love her so much!
and that show that V&R completely based on her (she actually opened it) with all the redheaded models was genius.

would you say issy blow was a muse to alexander mcqueen? i guess he kind of owed it to her after she discovered him!

 

[reese06]

tilda swinton, oh i love her so much!
and that show that V&R completely based on her (she actually opened it) with all the redheaded models was genius.

would you say issy blow was a muse to alexander mcqueen? i guess he kind of owed it to her after she discovered him!

I don't think that Alexander McQueen owed it to her. But he obviously kind of lucked up on a muse. Sometimes as a designer you have an image in your head of the perfect lady you would like to dress and I think he kind of lucked up upon her and she lucked up upon him. I hope that makes sense.

 

[discothequechic]

I don't think that Alexander McQueen owed it to her. But he obviously kind of lucked up on a muse. Sometimes as a designer you have an image in your head of the perfect lady you would like to dress and I think he kind of lucked up upon her and she lucked up upon him. I hope that makes sense.

yeah, i didn't quite word what i meant correctly. of course he doesn't owe her, he was a designer before she discovered him afterall, and i think if anything it was more of a case of him paying tribute to her after her death.
so yes, you make sense!

 

[La bordélique]

Tilda Swinton is also a Haider Ackermann and Hussein Chalayan muse.
http://www.vogue.fr/mode/defiles/haider-ackermann-3040.htm
http://www.husseinchalayan.com/artprojects.php?id=5

 

[aldn]

Courtney Love was a muse to Ricardo Tisci temporarily last summer. And I know she's been a muse to Galliano for quite a few pieces in certain Dior Couture collections, most notably prom queen themes, ballerinas, etc.

Why Agyness would be a muse for anyone is beyond me. She has no appealing qualities whatsoever;however, the same could be said for Courtney Love. To each their own.

So that's probably where the black studded belts came in at. I liked a lot.

 

[BellisVintage]

A Muse is for life not just a season

I find that too many "muses" are adopted for one season due to their popularity and then discarded for the next new hot thing.

I love the lasting relationships between designer and their inspiration such as Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn. My video below shows scenes from 5 of the 8 films they collaborated on during a working relationship which lasted more than three decades (1954 to 1987).

Givenchy intuitively understood Audrey's petite frame - the perfect foil it would seem for the sophisticated and ladylike look of the late 1950s and early 1960s - tiny waist, full skirt - often with underlay and a simply cut bodice, often collarless to show Audrey's swanlike neck.

Theirs was a true Artist / Muse relationship, more about bringing the best out in each other than getting quick headlines.

 

[Chanelcouture09]

I always find this an interesting subject for a designer and who inspire them.

Tom Ford

Carine Roitfeld

Carolyn Murphy

Julianne Moore

Rita Wilson

Bradley Cooper

*Zimbio.com

 

[Chanelcouture09]

^Jennifer Aniston

Natalia Vodinova

*Zimbio.com

 

[pollyanna90]

Jamie Bochert for Tisci and Marc Jacobs.

Anna Ewers, Lexi Boling, and Binx Walton for Alexander Wang.

 

[IloveDiorHomme]

Jamie Bochert for Tisci and Marc Jacobs.

Anna Ewers, Lexi Boling, and Binx Walton for Alexander Wang.

To me Alexander Wang's muse is Hanne-Gaby no ? she did almost every show and they seem pretty close too.

 

[bc collector]

It's true that KL had many muses, Amanda Harlech being the preeminent one in recent years...but nobody has yet mentioned his original one, Ines de la Fressange

 

[Lola701]

I find this thing about muses quite interesting.
Sometimes people forget the "model of the moment" thing with muses. I think that a generation of models could inspire a designer. Karl is a spot on example of it...
I can't say that Daria Werbowy (as mentionned before) was one of his muse. I feel like he was inspired at the time by what Hedi Slimane did in menswear and wearing it himself, it had an influence in his work (plus he worked with Alt at the time).

Victoire De Castellane was also one of his muse, even more than Ines De La Fressange. I would add Stella Tennant also.

 

[Grace C]

 

[ultramarine]

If I can remember correctly, Christopher Kane is inspired by Carine Roitfield I believe I read somewhere. Carine makes for such a great muse!

Definitely late Isabella Blow for McQueen I would say.

Somehow Annabelle Nielson seems more befitting for Lee ...

 

[Nomar]

I think that model Polina Kasina was definitely a muse for Lee. Basically a McQueen exclusive model, I can't think of anyone else who's walked more shows for the house (basically every show between FW05/SS06 - SS15). She also famously closed his Plato's Atlantis show in the iconic 'Neptune's Daughter' outfit and her close relationship with the house still stands today.

 

[christian zh]

^ Ohhh, right!

 

[MagFan]

^^ just a fit model and part of a team she worked in for years