“Fashion loves art” stands on the windows of the world’s largest H&M store, opened last July in New York, on Fifth Avenue. In the background, a huge yellow iridescent dog-shaped balloon. Not a simple balloon but a Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog: for the first time in the history of H&M, the Swedish fashion giant is working with an artist.
The original Balloon Dog is a massive sculpture in stainless steel, mirror polished, created in just five specimens in blue, magenta, orange, red and yellow. In 2013, Christie’s sold the orange version for 58.4 million dollars, an absolute record for a living sculptor. Definitely more affordable is the yellow version, although printed on a black leather shoulder bag, sold by H&M at $ 49.90 in limited edition. Only sold in the United States, also at the Whitney Museum (which hosted Jeff Koons’ Retrospective until 19 October), is already sold out.
« The partnership with H&M was really exciting for me – said Koons– and the chance to showcase one of my most popular works to a new generation of people was inspiring. H&M delivers great fashion season after season and it’s nice to see my work at their new store »
The collaboration with H&M is not the only one: Koons recently transformed the famous Birkin by Hermès in ready-mades, during a charity auction.
The link between contemporary art and fashion seems to have become a must of the famous brands in recent years, especially talking about accessories: bags, shoes, scarves, from Louis Vuitton to McQueen, Prada and Dior, no one escapes the trend.
Takashi Murakami, Japanese artist representing through large-scale works the mass iconography typical of his country of origin, collaborated with Louis Vuitton since 2003, year of the Cherry Blossom, by changing the monogram LV according to manga canons.
The fashion house of the famous British designer Alexander McQueen collaborated with the brit-artist Damien Hirst: both attached to the image of the skull, last year they realized a collection of limited edition scarves to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the famous skull scarf branded McQueen.
Raf Simons, Christian Dior creative director after John Galliano, launched instead the binomial Warhol-Dior, working with the Andy Warhol Foundation to launch a limited edition of the Lady Dior bag, with some illustrations of the artist: « For me Warhol made so much sense. I was interested in the delicacy and sensitivity of his early work and drawn to that graphic style. It was that notion of handwork and personal signature that fitted throughout. »
Prada for S/S 2014 took inspiration from Mexican murals of Diego Rivera and emerging artists as El Mac, Mesa, Stinkfish, Gabriel Specter and Pierre Mornet, creating bags that combine art, illustration and story.

During Christmas time, why don’t combine art, fashion and design? Also for smaller budget:
Pepe Jeans proposes Andy Warhol on yoox.com
Les Petit Jouers, with small clutches inspired by Mondrian 
Missoni instead, with the typical zigzag lines and the unforgettable colors of Optical Art, offers the legendary All Star Converse, chic reissued version on mytheresa.com
Uniqlo, a Japanese company producing quality low cost clothes, launched with MoMA the project SPRZNY, creating sweatshirts and down jackets inspired by Warhol, Basquiat, Pollock and others. Find out more at www.sprzny.uniqlo.com