From the worldwide desire for luxurious exclusivity to the photoshoot and catwalk populated by new talent, learn about the fascinating history and cutting-edge intersection between art, luxury, and fashion.
Students enrolled in this course will survey both the historical and contemporary relationships between art, luxury, and fashion, exploring the historical, geopolitical, and practical aspects of these cross-disciplinary fields. Through a combination of lectures and exclusive site visits, the course will cover historical examples from the Bauhaus and Surrealism, to Modernist movements such as Pop, Punk, and Op Art. Students will learn about recent collaborations between celebrity artists and famous labels, such as Anish Kapoor for Bulgari; Yayoi Kusama, Richard Prince, and Takashi Murakami for Louis Vuitton; Zaha Hadid for Chanel; and Jeff Koons for Lisa Perry. Students will learn what defines luxury and what role luxury plays in these collaborations. Participants will discover how street style has always influenced high fashion and how sustainability is no longer just a buzzword in the world of luxury and style but a trend that is here to stay. To ensure broad knowledge of the fashion and luxury industry, students will also learn about influential designers such as Virgil Abloh, Karl Lagerfeld, Telfar, and Miuccia Prada. Students will get to demonstrate their newfound knowledge by curating a hypothetical ambitious exhibition, designing a unique fashion line, or creating a work of art to present to the class.
Site Visits
Visits will include a combination of trips to major New York City art museums and galleries, luxury brand stores, and other places related to art, luxury, and fashion.
In the past, site visits have included:
- The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- The Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology
- The Museum of Art and Design
- Fashion ateliers of emerging and established designers
- Brooklyn Museum
- Luxury brand stores such as Prada and Van Cleef & Arpels
Guest Speakers
Students will hear firsthand from fashion designers, luxury brand marketers, and industry insiders about the topics that shape our understanding of art history and contemporary art production.
In the past, guest speakers have included:
- Fashion designers
- Artists
- Fashion industry insiders
- Luxury brand marketers
- Supermodels
- Curators
Please note: This information is subject to change at any time at the discretion of Sotheby’s Institute of Art.