When art meets fashion
What happens when you take a series of whimsical ink drawings developed by one of the greatest art legends of all time, and turn them into a series of eccentric eyewear? Unique, unconventional and highly iconic pieces of fashion art.
Retrosuperfuture® has once again teamed with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts for a second line of eclectic art-inspired sunglasses. This custom series (which will be on exhibition and available to purchase at the Hazard Gallery in Maboneng, Johannesburg, from 30 July to 27 August 2015) proposes an entirely novel approach to eyewear design.
Bringing the great artist’s legacy into the 21st century, Retrosuperfuture®’s designers have explored the foundation’s archives with the aim of fusing eyewear and visual arts in a unique contemporary product. “Inspired by Warhol’s ability to make the ordinary extraordinary, this new collection of sunglasses is nothing less than super extraordinary,” said Michael Hermann from the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Further articulating its relationship with the foundation’s rich heritage, Retrosuperfuture®’s creative team has identified a series of whimsical ink drawings developed by Warhol during his early career as a famed commercial illustrator transforming them into a unique series of eccentric eyewear. Originally created by Andy Warhol in 1957 for a newspaper feature on women’s eyewear, the drawings are characterised by classy female figures wearing sassy and mysterious 50s-style sunglasses. Interpreting Warhol’s original creations, Retrosuperfuture®’s designers have decided to experiment with materials, shapes and production techniques in their well known, avant-garde style, for a unique, collectable yet wearable collection. The result of their extensive research is a series of four different silhouettes that embody Andy Warhol’s witty visual flair. The four designs named Babybaby, Nicolou, Velvetdarling and Ultracandy are all utterly unconventional, ironic, yet highly iconic pieces of eyewear.
“The SUPER x ANDY WARHOL ILLUSTRATED SERIES is one of our most exciting projects of the year. Retrosuperfuture®’s designers have mastered this collaboration by coming up with a range of eyewear that is truly unique, as well as the quality of production being exceptional. Limited to 100 pieces per model worldwide this range is certainly a collector’s piece for eyewear enthusiasts,” says Gary Sher, Brand Manager for Retrosuperfuture® South Africa.
Seen as a three-dimensional interpretation of Warhol’s creative opus and unique philosophy of life, this extraordinary line of eyewear is the perfect reminder that just anyone can “be world famous for” at least “15 minutes”. Celebs such as Lady Gaga and Juicy J have been spotted rocking The SUPER x ANDY WARHOL ILLUSTRATED SERIES.
This iconic range will be launched in South Africa by means of an art exhibition at the Hazard Gallery at Arts on Main (Maboneng), Johannesburg, on 30 July, and will be on show until 27 August. South Africans will have the opportunity to view the eyewear series first hand, and to purchase one of the exclusive pieces from the exhibition. There will be only sixteen pairs of eyewear (four of each style in total) available to purchase in South Africa.
About Retrosuperfuture®
Founded in 2007 by a group of visionary Italian creatives, SUPER by Retrosuperfuture® now stands as one of the most dauntless contemporary eyewear brands, incessantly reinventing the way in which sunglasses should be designed, manufactured, styled and ultimately worn. Retrosuperfuture® has established itself as one of the eyewear trend leading companies, producing its line of SUPER by Retrosuperfuture® sunglasses. Super has become highly popular for its eclectic collection of colorful acetate sunglasses. Starting from a classic, clean silhouette, SUPER has gradually built up, with an impressive collection, currently composed of a long list of timeless yet cutting edge shapes. Since its inception, SUPER’s goal was to develop high quality eyewear, characterised by its distinctive yet wearable design.
About the Andy Warhol Foundation
As the preeminent American artist of the 20th century, Andy Warhol challenged the world to see art differently. Since its founding in 1987 in accordance with Andy Warhol’s will, the Andy Warhol Foundation has established itself as among the leading funders of contemporary art in the United States having distributed nearly $250,000,000 in grants supporting the creation, presentation and documentation of contemporary visual arts, particularly work that is experimental, under-recognised or challenging in nature. The Foundation’s ongoing efforts to protect and enhance its founder’s creative legacy ensure that Warhol’s inventive, open minded spirit will have a profound impact on the visual arts for generations to come. Proceeds the Foundation receives from licensing projects such as this contribute to the Foundation’s endowment from which it distributes grants. For more information please visit www.warholfoundation.org.
For more info on the range visit www.retrosuperfuture.co.za
