CR Rousseau melds art and fashion on the canvas
Tucked away in a gallery above Fish Cheeks on 55 Bond Street is an exhibit that celebrates the art in fashion through art created by CR Rousseau. The artist, also known by her first name Caroline, was inspired by the fashion of friend Carson Lovett. She then decided to pay homage to a corset from his collection as an Alexander McQueen Scholar at Central Saint Martins. This led Caroline to connect with several of Carson’s friends to do the same. What resulted is a series of abstract paintings that highlight the artistry of fashion in a new refreshing way. On Saturday September ninth, the opening of the exhibit, I was able to speak to Caroline and Carson to learn more about their work.
The motivation of Carson’s work is finding the modern expression of Bohemianism. “The [original] Bohemian movement visually was so tied to [proto] vintage and prep [styles],” he explained to me. “I mean in the 18th century, and in the early 19th century, these Bohemians living in the Latin Quarter, they would wear 17th or 18th century dresses that were falling apart, dilapidated. And, and so it was a form of Thrift, and they would stylize them and they became quite iconic for it. Even though they were out of fashion, they weren’t [out of style].” This led him to look into the modern equivalent of thrifting as a styling choice today.
Currently, thrifting has been having a bit of a moment online as many creators share their tips and tricks as well as their collections. One such creator, TinyJewishGirl or Clara Perlmutter, has become an icon in this space for her maximalist outfits from mostly thrifted and vintage garments. So much so that she inspired Carson’s work after they had met. “She did a fashion brand launch last year in New York,” he shared. “And did a runway show at the Box, and we got to know each other through that. Her sense of fashion is just crazy and takes a lot of bravery. It’s a strange alienating thing, but that’s what I love about it. It’s polarizing and to be polarizing in this day and age is an honor.”
Polarizing is an excellent way to describe Clara’s style as it is full of bright colors and clashing choices. Much of her inspiration seems to draw from the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, but her style is not merely y2k like many an influencer tries to achieve. Which really cements her as a modern Bohemian. The bright nature of her palettes drew Carson in. “Well, you see a lot of nature [in her style],” he said. “And something that excites me is musing on the idea [of] nature and the future. [We’ve got] GMO [and] we modified fruit to taste so flavorful, right? And just imagine a world where in the future where the fruit is just like the crazy shade of hot pink, can you taste it? It’s like, just the most ripe flavor. And it’s, I’m sure that’s where we’re headed. I kind of wanted to reflect some of that [in my designs]. They’re almost synthetic and toxic.”
In this sense, Clara’s style and the designs that Carson created as a result, draw on the philosophical definition of “synthetic” in that they take an antithesis and thesis of expression to create a synthesis. Something new and bold, but above all–daring. This is very well reflected in the construction and the colors of the corset featured in the exhibit. It’s an aqua blue that pops with accents of baby pink and grassy green. At the waist, the garment flares into exaggerated hips as if waiting for a hoop skirt, only to be presented with coordinating shorts (which were unfortunately not on display)! In the center, there is a pink coiled snake with green framing that complements the green stitching throughout the sides and the pink shelf in the bust. On its own, the corset is a beautiful work of art, but as an inspiration for a painting, it really shines.
Rather than create a one to one piece, Caroline broke down the elements on the canvas to embody the spirit of the garment. She used a slightly darker shade of blue, to create a backdrop for other design elements to come to life. The pink snake is the focal point as it meets crystal drops and white ribbons floating across the composition in a mesmerizing fashion. It evokes a sense of curiosity and even calm as the eye follows the shapes across the canvas. Which was in line with her intention. When we spoke, Caroline explained that when she saw Carson had graduated from Central Saint Martins and even celebrated as she watched online, she was inclined to collaborate with him. This led her to an iD article reviewing his collection along with the work of nine other students. Much of the featured designers featured sustainability as a main motivator in their work. “I found the ethos of sustainability [to be inspiring],” Caroline said. “And I found it was just such a rich context [to draw upon].” And so she did, in vivid beautiful colors too.
If you want to see the exhibit for yourself, it is on display until September 12th at 55 Bond Street on the second floor. The pieces are also available to view online through Caroline’s site and are available for purchase.