What role do images play in encouraging us to conform to, modify or resist conventional ideals of behaviour or appearance?
The aim of this essay is to show how images are being used as an important key to communication from the designer to the general public in the way of using a muse.
An image is a moment of time that can present an object, landscape or person.
In the fashion industry it’s common to use the combination of these three, to give a certain mood, the maker of the picture wants to show to their audience for cultural or commercial purposes. The image doesn’t necessarily have to be a photograph; it can be a video-clip, exhibition, installation or runway.
An image can contain emotions like sadness, happiness, beauty, depression, or love. It gives the receiver a direct psychological feeling or emotion, which can result in an act of the audience to love or hate the designer.
“Muse, the name of the nymph who inspired Numa. Every woman or everything personified as a feminine type, considered as an inspiration,“ (Vezin, 2003) says the Littre, a nineteenth-century French dictionary. But the Muse who, in the twentieth century, inspired the creator, the writer, the painter, the filmmaker, the photographer, or the musician was not always a woman. It could have been a man, a colour, or a memory. As few contemporary artist openly admit to such sources of inspiration but the nature of the muse has changed. Following the status of woman and their greater access
to all the areas of creativity, the muse in the twentieth century is no longer the often passive figure whose name had been almost forgotten. She has become an active character who is conscious of her importance.
That’s why designers chose for a different and maybe safer approach of giving a positive image of themselves and their company by using a muse. The relation between an designer and muse can be described as a love and hate affair as most muses build up already a certain fame. So reaching a larger audience will be easier. Muses are also used as a source for inspiration for the creative process. For other designers the muse is just an idea of imagination to make other people express themselves more then they normally will do, so in this case the function of the muse is a role model. They aspire to be like the muse from the images they see of him or her and the lifestyle they aspire to.
In the traditional sense, muses are independent sources of creativity that allow all artists to direct their vision. However, in the world of fashion, they enjoy a multitude of roles. As well as providing stimulus, many fashion designers choose the muse for their body shape, and in this sense, the muse can become a literal mannequin. Albeit one that can speak and give constructive or non-constructive feedback.
One of the most successful and classic iterations of the designer muse relationship was the relation between Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn. What started as a friendship when the two met on the movie set of the film production Sabrina, soon after they met they entered into a loyal working relationship that lasted decades. The images the two created together gave Givenchy an image of an established designer and Hepburn an international style icon.
“his are the only clothes in which I am myself. He is far more than a couturier, he is a creator of personality,” (2015) Said Hepburn of Givenchy. Over the years, Givenchy designed whole collections with Hepburn in mind. One of his most famous creations was the little black dress that Hepburn wore in the film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ that lead to such an iconic image for Hollywood movies as well for the fashion industry. This image of her in her little black dress made her one of the most stylish women of the 20th century. Nowadays thinking of Audrey Hepburn this image of her in the little black dress will still be one of the first thoughts to cross people’s minds.
However, the relationship wasn’t just one-way. Hepburn’s global fame also helped propel Givenchy to stardom, making him and his clothing famous the world over. With Hepburn attending premieres and other highly publicized social occasions, Givenchy’s feminine and elegant style was soon appealing to a much wider audience.
This alliance formulated the blueprints of the designer/muse relationship for years to come. Fashion houses began to embrace celebrities like never before, knowing that having clothes associated with a glamorous movie star would open their label up to a whole new market. This is a trend that persisted ever since: Gaultier and Madonna, Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola, Donatella Versace and Lady Gaga are to name but a few.
Often shy and lacking in self confidence, Yves Saint Laurent’s interactions with his muses are the archetypal example of how designer/ muse relationships work at their best. Over the years, Saint Laurent used many woman for this role. From the likes of Catherine Deneuve to Victoire Doutreleau, High-Society girls gave him the inspiration and confidence he needed to create his clothing.
However, one particular woman that stands out from the rest is Betty Catroux. A former model for Chanel, the two met at Regine Nightclub in Paris in the early stages of Saint Laurent’s career. Saint Laurent often referred to Catroux as his twin sister and her blonde hair differentiated her from his other muses. Her slight androgynous looks were the basis of many of his designs, including the much-imitated pantsuit that flattered her long proportions like many of his muses, she was born into aristocracy but managed to retain a rebellions edge, something that came to embody YSL aesthetic.
The two would travel the world and shared a passion for escaping the mundane routine of real life. They would visit places such as Morocco and even checked into rehab together. Throughout 35 years of collaboration, Catroux brought the very best out of Saint Laurent creatively and it is no understatement to say that their relationship formed the foundations of contemporary women’s fashion. Of Saint Laurent, Catroux said, “I’m a very lucky girl, I must say, that he picked me up. Very lucky. I had a fairy tale life with him. We had such a beautiful time together.” (2015)
Throughout the ’70s the two were inseparable and the ideas poured out of him, garnering much attention and mimicry. Catroux had her own style and was said to be disinterested in fashion, but Saint Laurent channeled this indifference into his flowing, graceful designs that would go on to change the world of fashion forever.
Through looking at Saint Laurent’s life, it would seem that the insecurity that enveloped him could only be eradicated through working with beautiful women. In this sense, his use of muses runs much deeper than mere artistic inspiration; they seem to provide him with the lifeblood on which he worked.
For some designers, muses aren’t necessarily one individual. In these cases, the notion
of a muse is embodied by a particular look. This statement most definitely applies to Saint Laurent’s creative director, Hedi Slimane, who likes to work with a multitude of muses for his inspiration. For Slimane, the somewhat clichéd rock chick is a central theme of his collections, and an important lynchpin to base his creative output around.
Arguably first originating with Courtney Love, Hedi’s muses have morphed over the years, with Sky Ferreira being a particularly big influence on Slimane’s most recent work. Ferreira encapsulates this new rock chick perfectly and has helped Slimane redefine traditional concepts of femininity within his collections. Although some would argue that the grunge look/heroin chic has had its day, Slimane’s affinity with up and coming musicians continues to mold his designs.
This association with underground artists such as Grimes, Kayla and Kim Gordon also helps Slimane to maintain a youthful irreverence, as well as allowing him to explore other creative disciplines, such as photography (he shoots all Saint Laurent’s campaigns himself). To the more cynically minded, it also allows his collections to have a broader commercial appeal, opening them up to an audience not normally interested in the output of snooty Parisian fashion houses.
This approach is not too dissimilar to what Hubert de Givenchy did with Audrey Hepburn — it’s a reciprocal relationship that works both ways to give creditability to the designer and high fashion allure to the celebrity.
Described as “the perfect muse for Balmain,” (2015) Kim Kardashian’s ostentatious style is an ideal match for Olivier Rousteing’s creations. Rousteing has said that he likes to dress “different body shapes, different girls, different personalities and different backgrounds,” (2015) and he also has a penchant for strong women. All of these qualities are wrapped up in Kim Kardashian so it is no wonder that the two share a
creative bond.
Since his appointment as head designer for Balmain in 2011, Rousteing has always surrounded himself with celebrities, and has a loyal following from stars such as Rihanna, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kendall Jenner. Perhaps this allows him to tap into their exclusive lifestyles or maybe celebrity endorsements give him the validation needed to continue designing. Whatever the reasons, strong female celebrities undoubtedly help to inspire him. “Fashion had started to forget women in a way, and concentrate too much on the clothes. For me it made no sense. In fashion, the biggest moment was when the models were celebrities”. (2015) He also takes influence from fashion royalty, citing the fact that iconic French designers such as Dior, Poiret and Balenciaga all used strong women as muses.
On Kardashian’s influence, Rousteing once said, “I choose muses that are actually really different and modern — I chose them because they are contemporary, they are part of this new world. For example, Kim Kardashian. She’s my friend, she’s a woman that I love for different reasons.” (2015) One thing’s for sure, Audrey Hepburn she definitely is not, and that suits Rousteing’s style just perfectly.
Traditionally muses are supposed to inspire creativity, but there are times when they can overstep the line and become a destructive force. In Rick Owens’ case, a particular incident during Paris Fashion Week 2015 exemplifies this. One of his male muses (reportedly his most important), a model called Jera Diarc, took it upon himself to display his rather confusing political views to the world at large.
Walking down the catwalk, Diarc unfurled a homemade banner displaying the slogan “Please Kill Angela Merkel. Not.” Whether this was a nuanced observation of the Eurozone banking crisis or a publicity stunt gone wrong, it certainly stole the headlines
from Owens’ show, something the designer didn’t take particularly well (supposedly punching Diarc in the face as soon as he stepped off the catwalk!).
This is a perfect example of how muses can also be detrimental for designers. In Owens’ case, he warmed to Diarc because of his personality and striking physical attributes, but when dealing with independent, fiery people (AM Casting Director Angus Munro has said that Diarc has some “demons”), unpredictable things can happen.
Following the show Diarc was expelled from the close-knit Owens group, dropped from his modeling agency and the mood of the designer in the wake of the debacle was said to be one of “abject disappointment.”
Images of Kate Moss “In art …are reinterpreted again and again over the years.” (2013, youtube) So much so that “…she became a prototype, a muse triggering association from many international artists.” (2013, youtube) These images being reinterpreted were artists ways of admiring Kate Moss, in a way she became a muse to so many people. People liked the way that she looked, yet also liked the scandal that surrounded her. It was a lifestyle that people aspired to, yet at the same time were disgusted by. They may have wanted the fame and the glamour, yet without being involved in the scandal and abuse.
“Sometimes the designer doesn’t chose to approach the media or public to show art but in the world of today influences from outside like social media, paparazzi, and selfies giving the word of the designer or artist a bigger and faster platform in an uncontrollable way.” (BBC Documentary, The Works, 1997) The way that muses used in images can affect people can be a very powerful thing. It can make people aspire to be like them, alternatively, it can deter people. Muses portray designers visions however,
and most of the time this will mean that people will follow the vision as people want a certain lifestyle. As designers use celebrities, these are often people who are looked up too, with a nice lifestyle, and who are fashionable, which makes the desire to be like them stronger.
New way of choosing muses is designers selecting popular people from social media. The amount of popularity gained from social media stars can help a brands popularity, which helps designers to choose who is going to be the face for next season. The way the muse is being chosen by a designer comes from the general public, “Yet not all the big fashion houses have embraced social media due to concerns over the potential loss of their brand image.” (BBC Documentary, The Works, 1997) Although based on recent research it has been “…found that three out of four luxury purchases, even if they still take place in shops are influenced by what consumers see.” (BBC Documentary, The Works, 1997) Therefore the use of social media celebrities would be beneficial to fashion brands as the amount of followers social media celebrities have it would bring more consumers to the brand. As “social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr enable the easy and spontaneous dissemination of images…” (Murray, 2015, p.491) this would enable fashion brands to use muses to reach a wider population, as opposed to just people who are interested in fashion. With reaching a larger audience fashion brands would be more able to persuade consumers to buy their clothing. The use of social media celebrities would encourage people to buy clothing from these brands, as people following these ‘celebrities’ aspire to be like them.
Images play an extremely important role in our behaviour and encouraging us to change our ideas and behaviour in daily life. This is why designers want to use role models for showing their work to the mass. Those role models or muses give an extremely strong
image of how they live and people want to adopt this because the image which is being showed often just one side and that’s a positive reflection of how life should be lived. Muses like Kate Moss or other famous role models make people want to change their looks by getting the same haircut, use of makeup, clothing style or product. Kate Moss is an iconic commodity all that the people are doing is licensing the franchise of her and then they hand the picture to the re-touchers. They then recreate an image they want, yet by the time it comes out in a magazine it often no longer resembles Kate Moss but it’s still seen as an image of her. This is what encourages people to buy a product or service that has to do with her. The image of her as icon can definitely change people’s behaviour because she is being adored and became almost more important than the product itself. However this can be argued as well as nowadays more muses are being discovered through social media and are not the face of a product or brand for a long time, however people use it too because of the social media and fast fashion industry which showcases more collections to a wide range of people.
However some designers think the opposite and think a muse is not relevant to use to make people react to their brand, like Vivienne Westwood said “role models become less and less important as everybody becomes in this world less important.” In the end, the conclusion is that images give a certain amount of information to the brain and each image is unique in a certain way, and also gives a unique reaction of the receiver, who interprets each image in their own way, causing different reactions for each person.