An Artful Wardrobe

If you know me, or read a little bit about me, you know I love fashion and art. I’m certainly not an expert, but both still have a way of making my heart skip a beat. My ideal day starts with a visit to a museum or gallery, followed by a bit of shopping, and ends with early dinner in a bar seat while enjoying a dirty martini or a glass of wine. Putting together this story felt especially fun for that very reason, and while I’ve written about fashion in museums, this time I’m turning to art as it appears on the runway recently.

But before we get to what’s happening now, let’s rewind to 2008 when the Brooklyn Art Museum debuted a Louis Vuitton store within, and as part of, MURAKAMI, a retrospective of more than 90 works by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Not only was the exhibition incredibly memorable and fun - I felt like the luckiest art history major in the world to have such easy access to extraordinary works - but I vividly remember spotting a white Monogram Multicolor Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton bag glowing from within its glass case. I think it was a Speedy, and it must have been my first time seeing one of the Murakami pieces in person, as I certainly wasn’t strolling into Louis Vuitton stores in those days. She was pristine, beautiful, and literally glowing and radiant under the museum lighting. I of course couldn’t afford her, but I remember the glow and the colors and the hype.

Kate Spade x Ellen Harvey well-loved tote.

A bag I did get my hands on (and still have today) thanks to a friend that snagged tickets to the Whitney Art Party in 2005 (Thanks Katmo, that night will do down in history!) is a Kate Spade / Ellen Harvey tote. Every attendee received one as a gift and I still use mine, as you can see above.

Looks from the Carolina K x Laura Moriarty collection.

Carolina K

I met designer Carolina K many years ago when Faena Miami Beach was an account I worked on. I immediately fell in love and continued to follow her work and purchase pieces. She regularly introduces artist collaborations and the latest spotlights her incredible craftsmanship alongside artist Laura Moriarty. A native of New York’s Hudson Valley, Moriarty makes process-driven works with pigmented beeswax, whose forms, colors, textures, and patterns result from processes similar to those that shape and reshape the earth.

Ulla Johnson pieces featuring Helen Frankenthaler’s “Nature Abhors a Vacuum”

Ulla Johnson

Helen Frankenthaler’s 1973 painting, “Nature Abhors a Vacuum” inspired many gorgeous Ulla Johnson pieces that went down the runway of her SS26 Runway presentation. Frankenthaler was an American Abstract Expressionist painter known for her the soak-stain technique, which involved pouring thinned paint onto unprimed canvas.

Looks from the ALEMAIS x Mokshini collection.

ALEMAIS

Australian brand ALEMAIS also regularly collaborates with artists. The Summer ’26 artist collaboration features New Zealander Mokshini, an artist who now calls Brooklyn home. Mokshini is a multi-disciplinary artist whose creative output ranges from painting to concept sketching, editorial collaborations, and textile design. All pieces feature her signature witty, yet sophisticated take on daily life in the city, which is borne of her whimsical portrayal of characters and a passion for storytelling. Hear from her firsthand about the pieces she designed with ALEMAIS. Here you can shop the entire collection.

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