LONDON.- Phillips de Pury & Company will support Britain Creates 2012: Fashion & Art Collusion. The project conceived by the British Fashion Council/Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation and in partnership with the Mayor of London, is a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen the longstanding relationships between fashion designers and visual artists. Iconic British designers were paired with top UK contemporary artists and invited to collaborate on unique works of art.
Featuring: Giles Deacon + Jeremy Deller, Hussein Chalayan + Gavin Turk, Jonathan Saunders + Jess Flood-Paddock, Mary Katrantzou + Mark Titchner, Matthew Williamson + Mat Collishaw, Nicholas Kirkwood + Simon Periton, Peter Pilotto + Francis Upritchard, Paul Smith + Charming Baker, Stephen Jones + Cerith Wyn Evans
The nine works will be auctioned on 27 June by Phillips de Pury & Company at a gala benefit event with Simon de Pury as auctioneer in aid of the BFC/Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation; a charity which aims to foster collaboration between the world of fashion and visual arts, opera, dance, theatre and film.
The ambitious collaborations encompass costume, sculpture, video and installation. They include a stunning light installation in the form of a conceptual hat by Jones and Wyn Evans; gleaming scalpels darting around parts of shoes in Kirkwood and Peritons motorised mobile; and dazzling digital animation from Katrantzou and Titchner. Mat Collishaws giant photographic print has been beaded and embellished by Matthew Williamson while a supple figure sculpted by Francis Upritchard has been outfitted in watery print and fishscales by Peter Pilotto. Giles Deacon and Jeremy Deller contribute the only wearable collaboration, which Deller calls an Arts and Crafts suit of armour for an athlete, while Hussein Chalayan and Gavin Turk recorded an audio track together. Smith and Bakers imposing monument, in aluminium and steel, is lightened with a characteristic touch of humour.
The works will be exhibited at the V&A in a free display running from 6-29 July, with a selection then available to view in the Selfridges Wonder Windows until 19 August.