Art X Fashion: Collaboration as key to forging Deeper Creative Conversations with Viola Raikhel-Bolot
By Holly Howe
Viola Raikhel-Bolot is Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Knightsbridge-based 1858 Ltd Art Advisory. The company which was founded around 20 years ago works with private banks, family offices, luxury brands, museums, and collectors. Viola is also a best-selling author, a film producer, and one of the earliest founding members of AWITA. She spoke to our members about how her personal passion of collaborations between the fashion industry and the art world evolved into a growing area of her advisory business and shared some key examples along the way of successful collaborations (as well as one that wasn’t quite so well matched).
Collaborations are NOT a recent thing
Viola shared some examples of historical ties between art and fashion to kick things off, from Gainsborough’s paintings in 19th century England where he looks at the fashion for dandyism and created works that were “very intent on communicating the sitter’s fashion and impeccable taste”.
It’s natural to expect strong links between art and fashion in France – the Louvre department stores in Paris were founded by an art collector shortly after Le Bon Marché opened. Napoleon III’s wife Empress Eugénie, who frequented both shops, appointed a very young Louis Vuitton as her box and trunk maker, several years before he founded his own label.
In the 20th Century, these relationships really take off. Viola believes that “Coco Chanel had the most empowered vision of how to incorporate art into her fashion and into her world”, and worked with Jean Cocteau in 1922 to create the costumes for his production of Antigone. The set design was by Picasso. Authenticity is essential for the success of these collaborations Viola notes:
“Those relationships are fundamental and cannot be replicated through agencies”.
Elsa Schiaparelli was another designer who cemented art and fashion, famously working with Salvador Dalí to make a lobster dress, famously featured in a photoshoot modelled by Wallis Simpson.
The Swinging Sixties
In the 1960s, two designers leading the way in this area were Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. “They can both attribute their success to art and art collaborations.” Saint Laurent is well known for his Piet Mondrian print dress, which was one of the first instances where the high street quickly created its own designer knock-off, so successful was the collaboration.
Meanwhile, Karl Lagerfeld became friends with Andy Warhol, and their friendship elevated Lagerfeld’s career in both Paris and New York. Remember Karl used to always be seen with a fan? He was inspired by Warhol and his wig, and wanted an equivalent prop that would be associated with his image.
Some of 1858’s successful projects
When luxury brands have entered the European market, many of them have turned to the art world to find a natural fit and introduce them to a new audience. One such brand was Harry Winston who worked with Viola and 1858 Ltd Art Advisory to help them engage with the London art world as they were opening at the same time as the fairs and auctions. “We identified that they needed to create a genuine authentic link to the art world.” Viola and her team then researched Harry Winston’s archives and artists they worked with in the past and then curated an exhibition of art works to show in the brands new Bond Street store.
The advisory also has a good relationship with LVMH and started working with the brand when Marc Jacobs was Creative Director of Louis Vuitton. Viola explains:
“This is a brand that genuinely has a commitment to art in its DNA – not just sponsorship of art exhibitions and hosting exhibitions at their museum in Paris but also through collaborations.”
Jacobs is also an art collector and had relationships with many of the artists that he worked with at LV. Much like YSL, he used dresses and then bags as a canvas for artists including Richard Prince, Steven Sprouse, and Yayoi Kusama to reinterpret. His passion for art was critical to the success of these projects as Viola thinks:
“it could be argued that since Nicolas Ghesquière took over, the collaboration with Jeff Koons was not as well received because he did not have the same level of sensitivity and appreciation for the art as Marc Jacobs had.”
How to forge a strong collaboration
Successful collaborations need to ensure that both brand partners are relevant and that the collaborations are “both timely and sensitive to the modern day environment but also provide existing and prospective clients with a new reason to engage with the brand.”
There are many creatives for the fashion industry to draw upon and Viola encourage people to think like matchmakers.
“Collaborations increase relevancy and curiosity, and bring eyeballs, customers and dollars. That’s the importance of having these dialogues between the different creatives.”
How do you quantify success?
For brands and artists, success can usually be quantified by the number of sales generated. However as Viola points out “some of our greatest collaborations have been where nobody has been selling anything at all”, such as when they arranged a private tour for 50 clients of a private bank of the Takashi Murakami exhibition at Versailles when it was closed. The event was hosted and sponsored by Louis Vuitton.
“Experiences that money can’t buy can drive awareness, but you need to set the parameters for quantifying it very early on!”