A Touch of Apocalypse Chic

Art and fashion: are they still aligned? This season’s most talked about accent pieces offer unabashed fun.

With sales softening and audiences drifting, fashion and art are leaning on each other — but cultural and commercial returns are harder to measure.

The marriage between art and fashion has long been one of convenience. Fashion labels see associations with the art world as a means of improving perceptions of the cultural value of their luxury products, and as an access point to potentially lucrative art collector customers.

Lately, however, art and fashion are becoming more of an odd couple that can’t stay away from each other. 2025 has been tough for both markets, with major players from both worlds struggling with sales, positioning and audience. With more luxury brands still jumping on the art bandwagon, the relationship could hit a rocky patch.

Problems can occur when things get too brand focused. Collaborative art products increasingly feel dated or can fail to launch. One exception was the Y2K nostalgia-driven reissue of the Louis Vuitton Murakami line. That was a sellout success, with an almost 300 per cent rise in interest on the vintage resale market. Murakami’s pop aesthetics are perfect for products and meme-like resurrection.

The key to a successful brand presence at art fairs is subtlety and the absence of a heavy logo. Like fashion weeks, art fairs, weeks and biennials are serious moments in a city’s retail calendar and a major boost to the local economy.

Above images: silk scarves from Hey Polka.