Photo credit: Anna Dorozhkina

Valentin Yudashkin, a famous Russian fashion designer, folk artist of the Russian Federation, and Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts have presented their joint project “Fashion in the space of art”. 

Fashion and art have been in close interaction along the entire length of history. Works of art from different periods serve as a source of inspiration for the creation of fashionable styles in clothing, accessories, and hairstyle. In its turn current fashion trends are embodied in architecture, sculpture and painting. A joint project “Fashion in the space of art” by Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and folk artist of the Russian Federation Valentin Yudashkin is dedicated to this relationship of past and present. 

Valentin Yudashkin, a famous Russian fashion designer, folk artist of the Russian Federation, Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Active Member of the Academy of Arts of the Russian Federation, Officer of the Order of French Republic “For services in the field of literature and art” and the “Legion of Honour” Order. His models are stored in Louvre Applied and Decorative Arts Museum in California, State Historical Museum in Moscow, International Museum of the Olympic Games and Metropolitan Museum in New York. Collections created by the designer are demonstrated in Paris, Milan, New York and other world capitals. 

In his work Valentin Yudashkin often uses special artistic codes, letting high fashion speak the language of Fine Arts. When working on collections, fashion designer uses techniques specific for different historical periods, styles and art styles, trying to show manysidedness of fashion and its cultural significance. This kind of dialogue of fashion and art became the basis for the exhibition.

And so Classical Greek mosaics, embodied by fashion designer Valentin Yudashkin in embroidery patterns of haute couture “Byzantium” collection, are changed in his “External City” collection with a distinct draughtsmanship of draperies, creating a feeling of monumental majesty of architecture of the ancient Rome. Plastic arts of lines in sketches made by designer Valentin Yudashkin in his “Dance” series, echoes with the compositional rhythmic of accessories from the collection of haute couture “Music”, performed by Italian masters on the basis of his drawings. 
The splendor of paintings of French painters is reflected in luxury fabrics and decorative items of ensembles from haute couture “Sun King” collection. A low-key play of light and shadow and almost graphic images created by Valentin Yudashkin, a painter, in “Black and White” and “Night and Day” collections give way to a bright riot of colors in his collections of “Russian Avant-Garde” and “Art Deco”.

The dialogue between sculpture and fashion continues in a series of dresses from Valentine Yudashkin’s various haute couture collections, where the artist turns for inspiration to the masterpieces by Michelangelo. Renaissance, which symbol was the genius Michelangelo, sought to strengthen and highlight the natural human beauty. Cities in Italy, where the great master worked – Bologna, Luca, Florence – were famous for the production of expensive fabrics – silk, velvet, satin, taffeta, muslin, that have not lost their appeal for modern designers too. Tense dynamic lines of “Madonna de ‘Medici” &‐ one of the most famous works of the sculptor – reflect the rhythm of folds and drapes of high fashion products. The detailed study of the sculptural image influenced the elaborative selection of decorative elements for dresses. 

Painting, drawing, theater, music, cinema. Works of the fashion designer reflect different kinds of art that served as the starting point for the realization of the models presented in the sections of the exhibition, where modern high fashion, descended from the podium, acts as a piece of art. An unusual exhibition project expands the boundaries of the museum space, letting the viewer look at the phenomenon of fashion through the prism of masterpieces of the great masters of the past.

Information is provided by  Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.

All photos are made by the author of the article.