The Mondrian collection is one of the most memorable crossovers between fashion and art. In 1965, French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent paid tribute to the minimalist paintings of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian through a six-piece collection of A-line shift dresses, which have been remembered as definitive pieces of Sixties’ fashion. Mondrian was a part of the Dutch art movement of De Stijl—also known as neoplasticism—which was defined by abstract blocks of primary colours in simple compositions, an aesthetic that translated seamlessly into clothing.

Moschino and Pablo Picasso have a lot in common: a love of bold colours, a flair for the dramatic and a desire to push the boundaries of visual expression. This came together in then-creative director Jeremy Scott’s spring-summer 2020 collection for Moschino. The Spanish painter’s cubist and surrealist works strut down the runway as structural dresses, exaggerated accessories and literal frames held by the models.

Read more: 5 times Jeremy Scott set trends at Moschino before they were cool

For its 2013 resort collection, Alexander McQueen had turned to early 20th century Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt—specifically his “golden phase” of paintings, which were distinctive in their use of gilt and jewel-tone mosaics, and the portrayal of women in sensual settings. The collection portrayed these popular yet polarising images in textured metallic fabrics and severe yet delicate silhouettes that celebrated the feminine body.

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton share a history of connecting the dots between fashion and art, first in 2012 and then again ten years later, through their collaborations that featured Kusama’s signature trippy polka dots in outfits and accessories. In March 2023, a third collaboration dropped with another round of monogrammed accessories featuring Kusama’s colourful pumpkins, flowers and faces—there’s even one handbag shaped like Kusama’s famous gourd. 

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