On January 19th, multimedia artist, Daniel Arsham, held his first fashion show at Paris Fashion Week, and he smashed it! Literally. Arsham’s brand, Objects IV Life, debuted its third collection in a way we hadn’t seen before at Perrotin Gallery, where the artist held his first exhibition 20 years ago. The presentation began with several stands down the runway that appeared to have sculptures of garments on them. Arsham, followed by the models, walked in and proceeded to smash the pieces. One by one, he broke down the sculptures with his own hands to reveal Objects IV Life Ch. 003 pieces in a beautiful performative installation.
The collection consisted of twelve monochromatic looks inspired by workwear, some of which were covered in plaster after the big reveal. Shades of teal, green and lilac made up the show’s color palette, creating a muted, sophisticated look. This collection reinforces the brand’s premise to create a “uniform” for creatives. Created by the artist, for the artist, Arsham manages to design functional contemporary workwear. Denim, utility boots, oversized silhouettes and intricate hardware were seen on the runway, expressing an industrial yet avant-garde feel. Even though some of the plaster-covered pieces are not wearable, the artist revealed that he recorded the fractures on the sculptures to further generate patterns that will be included in the pieces available for sale, allowing his consumers to be part of the performance.
This man can do everything from sculpture to painting to architecture or digital design. Arsham has established himself as a leading influence by developing what I would refer to as an “antique-futuristic” aesthetic with icons from ancient history, popular culture and everyday objects. He takes these artifacts and beautifully erodes them by adding crystals where natural weathering would have happened. Objects IV Life is no expectation, as we see a reinvention of timeless archaeology through the show.
Daniel Arsham was no stranger to the fashion industry, as he had collaborated with Kith, Dior, Tiffany & Co. and Uniqlo. However, Kim Jones inspired him to develop his ideas into what is now Objects IV Life. It is truly astounding what Arsham has demonstrated; as a multimedia artist, he has been able to break out from the confines of a particular discipline while maintaining a spirit of curiosity for creativity. I’m excited to see what Objects IV Life has in store, as this is just the beginning for Daniel Arsham.
Words and Graphic by Danna Macias