Fashion, Art, and Holly Fowler

Is fashion art? Is art fashion? Of course, debating the answers to these questions are ongoing conversations amongst the fashion realm. Which actually beg a much larger question, ‘Well…what the hell is art’? To which I always thought a perfectly sufficient answer was, ‘You know it when you see it’. Like love. When I discovered the work of fashion designer Holly Fowler I knew hands-down, no if’s, and’s or but’s about it, that this was art. And I think you’ll agree.

Holly is an English designer based in London who specializes in hand painted fashion. Her work is based on the idea that every garment is, in fact, a painting. She treats the silhouette as her canvas, and paints each print directly onto the clothing, to create a print that wraps around and moves and grooves with the wearer; essentially creating ‘wearable art’. Holly’s muse is ‘Princess Pamela’, a character based on her grandmother as a young woman. Pamela is a modern day princess who goes on adventures in each season’s collection. And we can definitely see the Princess’s influence in the latest collection of regal gowns and ‘off-duty’ pant suits painted with jewels, tassels, and sashes bearing intricate floral designs. Wearble art for the modern day Princess- tres romantique! Can’t wait to see what fairy tale Holly Fowler invites us to dive into next season.

All images via HollyFowler.com