The British Fashion (BFC) Fashion Arts Foundation and the Royal Academy Schools are thrilled to announce the collaboration of five new pairs for the Fashion Arts Commissions, an innovative project bringing together the worlds of fashion and art. Launched in 2016, The Fashion Arts Commissions aims to foster creativity and encourage future talent to collaborate across a variety of art forms.
The project sees collaborations between five of the most talented graduates from the RA Schools paired with the best new talents from the BFC’s NEWGEN scheme. For its second edition, the Fashion Arts Commissions includes:
Liam Hodges & Nicky Carvell
Paula Knorr & Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom
Richard Malone & Marco Palmieri
Sadie Williams & Carla Busuttil
Samuel Ross of A-COLD-WALL* & Julie Born Schwartz
The artworks were previewed at London Fashion Week from 16th – 20th February 2018 and will be showcased at a public exhibition from 12th– 15th March 2018 at Christie’s King Street Gallery. The exclusive creations will be available to purchase at Christie’s during the event with all profits donated to BFC Fashion Arts Foundation, one of the BFC’s registered charities established in 2010.
“With this special project, we are taking fashion in a new direction” says Caroline Rush CBE, Chief Executive, British Fashion Council. “The worlds of fashion and art have long since been intertwined, with many fashion designers looking at art for creative inspiration. The Fashion Arts Commissions aims to celebrate this intersection by bringing together future talents across these creative disciplines. Last year’s collaborations really proved how art and fashion combined have the power to create new expressions and our aim with this project is to shine a light on collective creative influence, through our brilliant design talents, both in the UK and internationally.
Eliza Bonham Carter, Head of the Royal Academy Schools and curator of Fashion Art Commissions said: “The Royal Academy Schools is delighted to be working for a second year with the British Fashion Council to bring together emerging artists and designers. The exchange between the designer and artist of differing approaches, attitudes, material and manual knowledge and their personal processes of thinking, result in the creation of previously unimagined objects, images, installations and ideas. The value of this process lies not only in these bold, surprising and intriguing works of art, but also in the process by which they are achieved, which will inform the practice of each participant long into the future”.
Paola Saracino, Specialist, Head of Midseason and E-Commerce Auctions, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Christie’s London added, “Christie’s is once again thrilled to showcase these exciting one-of-a-kind collaborations in an exhibition in our King Street Galleries. This partnership, now in its second year, generates funds for the Fashion Art Commissions and nurtures future talent. Working alongside the Royal Academy Schools and the British Fashion Council, we are proud to offer a platform for these artistic pairs, from different visual backgrounds, who come together and produce works that are fresh, innovative and offer a glimpse into the contemporary creative field of today.”
The Fashion Arts Foundation trustees are Caroline Rush CBE, Jane Boardman and Valeria Napoleone since its inauguration the project has facilitated successful design collaborations between Agi & Sam and Joe Frazer, Alex Mullins and Amy Petra Woodward, Diego Vanassibara and Victoria Adam, Kit Neale and Jonathan Trayte.