HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALPHONSE MUCHA

"Art exists only to communicate a spiritual message."--Alphonse Mucha

Today is the 156th anniversary of Alphonse Mucha's birth!  I'm celebrating by revisiting one of my favorite posts from 2013, where I dressed in my best Mucha-inspired ensemble and frolicked through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  See the full post here.

ALEKSANDRA EKSTER

Aleksandra Ekster, costume design for Dance of the Seven Veils, 1917

This look was inspired by the ballet costumes of Aleksandra Ekster (1882-1949), a Russian-French painter and designer. A close friend of Picasso and Braque, she is well-known for her Cubo-Futurist designs and, later, Art Deco paintings.

I'm wearing a vintage jumpsuit, Gap leather jacket, Lauren Merkin leather clutch, suede shoes by L.A.M.B., a vintage leather belt, and House of Harlow 1960 necklace.

[Ekster image from g1b2i3.wordpress.com.]

TAMARA DE LEMPICKA

Although I gather outfit inspiration from all over, I very rarely find an outfit that I want to recreate head to toe. However, when I came across photos of this Miu Miu ensemble worn by Anna Dello Russo, I was immediately inspired by its Art Deco feel.

The main reason I was drawn to the look (other than the electric green color and striking accessories) is because of its affinity to the work of Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka.

Lempicka (1898-1980) is one of the most well-known female Art Deco painters.

Her style is a combination of synthetic cubism and Art Deco, and the resulting work is geometric and exacting, yet still maintains a keen appreciation for the female body.

The majority of Lempicka's paintings depict assertive, independent women. Her self-portrait Tamara in the Green Bugatti (below) imbues her own image with a sense of independence that was not widely accorded to the women of her time.

Her notoriously glamorous yet alternative lifestyle made Lempicka the subject of a number of books and screen productions. After a life spent solidifying her social and artistic importance, Lempicka became known as "the baroness with a brush".

I tried to capture the Art Deco feel of these works by combining a beaded jacket with a structured shift dress and geometric accessories.

I'm wearing a vintage beaded and sequined jacket, H&M silk dress, Falke Pure Matte tights in Emerald, Divided shoes, Gap belt, and vintage gold clutch.

In other news, my birthday is just around the corner! I was so excited to see daffodils (my birthday flower) in bloom this week.

[Lempicka images from sarahfullercostume.blogspot.com, vintagegal.tumblr.com, fashionstylist.net, and dailyartist.blogspot.com, respectively. ADR images from streetpeeper.com, alltheprettybirds.com, and jakandjil.com.]