ART BASEL ’21 – It’s a wrap!

Art Basel Miami Beach and the leaders of the world’s fashion trends

Art Basel Miami Beach – an exhibition and fair traditionally held in early December in Miami, is finally over in the most pleasant and beautiful resort in the United States. The scale of this event can’t be conveyed in words, which is akin to the annual fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, London, and New York.

Although not all fashionable looks of the upcoming seasons are demonstrated here, the popularity of Art Basel is off the charts because the paintings, sculptures, photographs, luminous objects, and even sand compositions presented at the exhibition demonstrate current trends in interior design and fashion trends in art.

“Art is fashion,” – says artist Alec Monopoly, who regularly exhibits with his stunning fashion graffiti and paintings.

On the first day of the opening of Art Basel, a show of the new collection of Louis Vuitton took place. This year he was joined by the Campana brothers, Marcel Wonders, Raw Edge, and Zanellato / Bortot. It was the farewell collection of the recently departed art director of the fashion house Virgil Abloh.

In memory of him, Virgil figures were exhibited on the territory of the show. Drones made drawings and inscriptions in the night sky. There was a red balloon, which previously appeared in the promotional video for the show. Alec Monopoly made graffiti in honor of Virgil Abloh. The masterpiece, created literally overnight, will now adorn the wall of a building in Wynwood for a long time.

Watching his last show called “Virgil Was Here”, the audience seemed to be saying goodbye to the designer, founder of the Off-White brand. It is bizarre to see another fashionable masterpiece, realizing that the author is no longer there because his collections have always been distinguished by humor, bright colors, and even kitsch.

Hundreds of celebrity guests sat between thin birches on an impromptu podium. Each paid tribute to the creator using some of the Abloh things in their looks. The collection was an absolute deconstruction of menswear norms:

• A pink and white down jacket paired with a frame skirt
• Sleeveless vests worn over jackets
• Monogrammed suits styled with cowboy boots
• Elegant bonnets instead of bandit balaclavas

This is what Virgil was always credited with: “Life is so short that you can’t even spend a day on what people think you could do instead of what you are actually able to do.”

Chanel once again immersed us in the atmosphere of a fairy tale. Their installation, Five Echoes, created in collaboration with London-based artist Es Devlin, amazed the audience. Chanel guided us through a multi-sensory labyrinth that combines visualization, sound, and scent. Thus, the fashion house created an art object in honor of the centenary of Chanel No. 5. As a landscape, the atmosphere of the nature of the area of ​​a small monastery was recreated, near which little Gabrielle Chanel spent her childhood.

We were guided along a winding dance route of concentric paths, using all our senses. Classics and modern art have come together. The concept of the eco-project has also been carefully thought out. There is a program according to which all trees will be replanted at the end of Art Basel. All additional elements were made from materials that can be recycled environmentally friendly. Everything is thought out, everything is aesthetically pleasing. Very charming and unusual. I wonder if this theme will be somehow interpreted in the new collections of the fashion house?

Continuing the story about Art Basel, I cannot help but admire another installation that has penetrated into my soul for a long time: The Dance of Light and Water, designed by La Prerie. Mirror installations reflecting the ocean were created on the beach. The idea was to recreate the Swiss lakes. Guests were treated to champagne and black caviar.

From the name itself, it follows that the mainline is dance. It was introduced by Wen-ChiSu from Taiwan, a choreographer, dancer, and artist. This collaboration between La Prairie and Wen-ChiSu is based on the music of light on the waves and the shimmering light on the surface of the Swiss lakes.

The result was a unique performance of Moving Towards the Horizon, which was breathtaking and became the embodiment of this elusive moment of merging light and water, a physical and emotional expression of the mesmerizing effect of the dance of light on the water, a return to nature.

Incredible mirrored art objects reflected the ocean and immersed everyone in a magical atmosphere. It was all a beautiful search for perfection.

Examining all installations – so bright, colorful, unusual, and mesmerizing – you understand that you are practically in the center of beauty, where fashion, art, style, creativity, fantasy merge together.

Expo Event: Art Basel Miami @artbasel Photos by: Olga Markova @markova_photographer Article by: Fashion Magazine 24 @fashionmagazine24