Some years ago London designers were asked to give free rein to their imagination and artistic talents and interpret Dalí ’s surrealism though their designs. Important names in the fashion worked contributed their designs, including, Moschino, Catherine Walker, Enrico Coveri and Sonia Rykeil. The Dalí Universe now owns this collection of dresses that were inspired by Dalí’s artworks
Dalí had a love of haute couture and through his various collaborations with fashion icons such as Coco Chanel and Schiaparelli, he created unforgettable pieces such as costumes for the ballet ‘ Bacchanale’ and the ‘Lobster Dress’.
Dalí designed the Aphrodisiac Jacket in 1936, a black men’s dinner jacket covered in glasses that were filled with peppermint liquor. Straws encouraged viewers to sip the drink and therefore ‘ consume’ the art.
With the Italian fashionista Elsa Schiaparelli, he produced memorable and unforgettable creations such as the Desk Suit( 1936) and the Skeleton Dress (1938) and the Shoe Hat (1937).
In 1950, Dalí combined his ideas with Christian Dior to create the Costume for the year 2045, a silk green gown, with a velvet crutch and 3 metal masks on the pelvic area. Not so far-fetched, considering we are already in 2017!
The Dalí Universe fashion collection ‘Dalí a la Mode’ has continued to grow, and now consists of 31 dresses forming a spectacular fashion show. The latest additions are from 2008, when 12 leading UK designers , amongst them Graeme Black and Allegra Hicks, showcased their designs at the Dalí Universe in London.
For Dalí ,the symbolic meaning of a dress can be summarized in his memorable quote, ‘ Dressing up, disguising oneself, is a way to fight the trauma, the biggest trauma of all : being born’.
