As I've previously commented upon, the Mulleavy sisters (the designing duo behind Rodarte) have always been inspired by film, and this season it seems that the force was totally with them. They had dresses emblazoned with the Death Star, alien planets from a galaxy far far away, and some of the original trilogy's main characters. I'm pretty sure I said something along the lines of "These are the best outfits to wear to ComicCon if you are a nerd but also quite fashionable and not into cosplaying" ... or something like that. 

Rodarte, however, rarely establishes a trend. The brand often feels like a fairytale, existing in its own world and influencing itself but not really other fashion houses. I loved the influence of Star Wars but I didn't feel like it would be an inspiration anywhere else.

And yet the Rodarte show stuck with me. I kept spying Star Wars influences everywhere I went. Dark starry prints on a dress at Fendi. Futuristic utilitarian suits at Andrew Gn and Maxime Simoens conjured up images of more fashionable storm troopers. Reed Krakoff had one look that perfectly resembled a genderbent version of Han Solo.

When Preen featured not one but two looks with Darth Vader's iconic helmet screened onto the fabric, I knew this wasn't a coincidence. It seemed Rodarte was indeed on to something when they dedicated their fall presentation to Luke Skywalker & Co. 

Maybe the fashion world is just as excited as the rest of us are for the new era of Star Wars movies that is coming to us soon, thanks to Disney and J.J. Abrams. Maybe fashion designers are more nerdy than their cool all-black ensembles make them out to be. 

Whatever the case may be, I am totally digging the Star Wars influence of the fall 2014 runways. Are you?

My roommate Carissa once told me that she will never wear a piece of clothing with a face on it. It's kind of like wearing part of a person's soul. So maybe Spring's Prada coats are not for her.

But shows like Prada did have us seeing double - double faces, that is. Models sported painted women on coats and skirts. Not the most subtle of prints, of course, but the dresses were perfect for the fashion fearless.

The trend of incorporating faces (and facial features) into clothing is far from over. Anna Wintour stirred up fashion critic controversy with the furry and face-printed Prada coat she wore to the Girls Season Three Premiere Party a few weeks ago.

Back on the runways, designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Stella McCartney have been similarly inspired by portraits, turning artistic interpretations of faces into fashionable prints. These more abstracted versions translate better to everyday wear, and work as statement pieces if you are looking for a way to liven up your otherwise simple outfit.

Quite a few people have trouble making the connection between my major (art history) and my intended career field (fashion) and I don't really understand why. But in Paris this week, the Kaiser himself helped illustrate my point that art and fashion are indeed quite entwined (whatever Miuccia may say about that). 

Karl Lagerfeld transformed the Grand Palais into an art gallery, with 75 original artworks that incorporated many of the motifs of the Chanel brand - Chanel No. 5 perfume bottles, pearls, quilted leather handbags, etc. As a student of art history the presentation of the collection was fascinating, and I could make all sorts of points about the significance of these motifs in our culture and the power of Lagerfeld and the Chanel brand (but I won't for now). 

The clothes themselves were also quite artistic and creative. Each ensemble seemed to be splashed with every hue of a painter's palette, and many looks were thrown together in a very artistically half hazard fashion - sweaters tied around necks, shirts falling off one shoulder, a bag (or two, or three, in some cases) slung this way and that. 

Each model wore "wigs [that] were paintbrushes-cum-Darth Vader helmets of hair," according to style.com's talented Tim Blanks, and they all had rainbow-colored brushstrokes highlighting their eyes. It was truly a stroke of artistic genius.

But Karl isn't the only one making the connection between art and fashion. All week long we've seen the influences art movements and innovators can have on a designer's creations. 


Phoebe Philo's Céline was inspired by graffiti and the photographs of Brassaï. The collection was beaming with bright primary colors and bold brushstrokes. For the queen of minimalist cool, these clothes are quite bold, but nevertheless speak to the impossibly chic aesthetic of the Céline girl.


Elsewhere, Andrew Gn was quite influenced by Pablo Picasso's cubist paintings and featured Picasso-style instruments and faces in a few of his looks.

Fashion and art may have their differences, but they are certainly intertwined, and personally, I love seeing artistic references made in runway collections!