Art and fashion have always been topics for spirited conversation. History shows us that more often than not, the results are amazing when high fashion and fine art intersect. Take the Mondrian shift dresses by Yves Saint Laurent and Elsa Schiaparelli’s Dali-inspired designs, for example.
Haute couture has been showcased in museums in the same way such institutions revere paintings by a highly respected artist. Fine art has, unsurprisingly, inspired the creation of not only museum-worthy couture but also of wearable yet stylish and impeccably constructed designer pieces. Such is the case with Manila-based couture label Septième Rebelle whose collaboration with Fundacion Sansó is inspired by the work of no less than distinguished Spanish-born painter Juvenal Sansó.
Unbeknownst to many, master painter Sansó dabbled in fashion as a textile designer while he was a student at the École Nationale des Beaux Artes in Paris in the 1960s, as a means of supporting himself when the Central Bank had set caps on the financial support that could be sent by his father from Manila. Sansó’s hand-painted textile designs depicted florals and foliage, as well as geometric shapes and abstract patterns. The House of Balenciaga was his biggest client.
Robbie Santos, founder and creative force behind Septième Rebelle, is no stranger to Sansó’s work as a patron of the arts himself. But Sansó’s story of working as a young textile designer in Paris may have added another dimension to Santos’ appreciation of the renowned painter, prompting a vision beyond his that of an art connoisseur.
Santos draws a connection between his experience as a burgeoning fashion designer inspired by fine art, and Sansó’s experience dabbling in fashion many years ago.
“He was still new as an artist. I feel a certain level of parallelism with Sansó in a way that I’m also starting my life as a fashion designer—sixty years later,” Santos said. “I think there is a connection between what he made and what I am making for the collaboration.”
Although separated by half a century and belonging to different generations, their experiences are similar: both artists took a step away from their respective chosen mediums to see how one another’s medium could fuel one’s creative pursuits.
Drawing from Sansó’s work wasn’t easy for Santos. He had to take two different paths for his new collection. First, the process of digitally printing Sansó’s hand-painted original designs on fabric and making clothes from the printed fabric produced. Resulting from this process are the pieces with painterly patterns from the collection. The second, arguably more daunting task was using the inspiration he got from Sansó’s paintings to find fabrics that embody the aesthetic presented in the artworks, and design and create clothes from ready-made fabrics.
“The collection that I am making in collaboration with Fundacion Sansó has to uplift,” says Santos. He wishes that the designs, which stand out for their vibrant prints, colors, shapes, and patterns, would positively shift the mood and enrich the souls of spectators and eventual owners of his avant-garde, made-to-order pieces.
Sansó Textile Designs X Septième Rebelle is on display at Galerie Joaquin in One Bonifacio High Street Mall, BGC until Dec. 20. The limited edition Septième Rebelle embroidered bags with patterns inspired by the textile designs are also on display. Set design was meticulously thought of and supervised by creative genius, Vince Uy. Curating the artworks to complement the fashion exhibit was properly executed by the director of Fundacion Sansó, Ricky Francisco.
