The Confluence of Art and Fashion: how Michelangelo and McDonald's have inspired fashion lines

For centuries now, designers have taken inspiration from a myriad of sources, constantly surprising their audience with creative and quirky designs. Out of all these inspirations, what has stood out the most and remained somewhat of a trademark to certain brands is when the designer is inspired from pop culture and classical art. These can be seen in entire fashion lines presented through runway looks or on the red carpet worn by a celebrity. Here is a collection of lines and looks where designers and creative directors have encompassed pop culture in the fashion they produce.

Dolce & Gabbana Venus Dress, 1996; inspired by The Birth of Venus by Botticelli

This dress, from the 1990’s D&G, has been inspired by the classical Italian painting- Birth of Venus. The silk dress features cropped out images from the painting, framed in a collage-like manner covering the entire dress. It is only for the bold wearers as it is quite a statement; Lady Gaga proved that by wearing an ARTPOP version of it in 2013.

Iceberg’s 2001 Collection; inspired by Lichtenstein

Iceberg’s 2001 Collection has been directly inspired from Lichtenstein’s famous work. This artist has created some of the most well-known pieces of the pop art movement, which he was practically one of the leaders of.

MOSCHINO’s Fall 2014 Ready-to-wear Collection; inspired by food brands

Perhaps more entertaining to watch than to wear, the Fall 2014 MOSCHINO runway was full of looks that amused to the core. Inspired by fast food brands, and particularly the McDonald’s uniform, Jeremy Scott did not fail to perform with his out-of-box ideas where each piece could have appropriately been classified as ‘wearable art.

MOSCHINO’s Spring 2015 Collection; inspired by Barbie

Keeping up with the quirky outfits, the MOSCHINO Spring 2015 collection was based on Barbie, a classical icon still popular today. Each look perfectly captured the essence of Barbie, and any 6-year old would die to wear them.

Ariana Grande in Vera Wang, Met Gala 2018; inspired by the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo

This look has been of Grande’s most iconic ones, featuring her signature high ponytail, this time tied up with a big ribbon for accentuation. The dress is extremely detail oriented is meticulous replica of the Sistine Chapel ceiling itself. With subdued makeup and a sharp winged eyeliner, the entire look was probably the most successful one in capturing the theme ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic imagination’ back in 2018.

MOSCHINO’s Spring 2020 Collection; inspired by Picasso

At this point, MOSCHINO is known to present pop culture through fashion, and it has ended up becoming an integral part of its brand image. This time, Jeremy Scott intentionally drifted from pop culture a bit towards art, taking inspiration from Pablo Picasso himself. The entire SS 2020 line is a wearable recreation of Picasso’s work and his cubist style.

And so, here ends this short list of where fashion has been directly inspired from art and pop culture. There are many more brands, pieces and looks that have done so out there, but these are the most prominent ones through the last few decades, and it is fair to say these looks have really served.