Pieter Cornelis Mondrian

ARTISTS ,   M ,   PAINTERS

PIETER CORNELIS MONDRIAN, DUTCH PAINTER BORN IN 1872

Pieter Cornelis Mondrian, better known as Piet Mondrian, was born in Amersfoort on the 7th of March 1872 and died in New York on the 1st of February 1944. Pieter Cornelis Mondrian was a Dutch painter, founder of neoplasticism, together with Theo Van Doesburg.

His works have had an extraordinary impact within the world of fashion: behind his art, the horizontal and vertical lines, the rectangular or square shapes, there is an elaborate thought that seems conceived to be applied precisely to the dynamics of clothing.

The art and fashion partnership of which Mondrian was the protagonist started in the sixties with the famous collaboration for the fall-winter 1964-1965 collection by Yves Saint Laurent. Still today, it represents one of the most important moments of the history of costume.

MONDRIAN COLLECTION BY YVES SAINT LAURENT

The fall/winter 1965-66 designed by the French stylist Yves Saint Laurent was totally reserved to contemporary artists including Poliakoff and Malevich, even though it beared the name of Collezione Mondrian.

Pieter Cornelis Mondrian worked for Yves for the creation of six cocktail dresses called “The Stijl”, characterized by the tones and geometries used by the Dutch art movement.

The collection started a revolution in the aesthetic relationship. That exists between haute couture and the world of art, laying the foundations. Mainly, for what would become an increasingly intrinsic union. The A-line of the skirt is precisely structured from a pre-dyed wool and worked by sewing the different shades with strict precision from Haute Couture. Moreover, the weight of the raw material ensured a perfect perpendicular fall, leaving each square free so as not to reveal any hint of stitching.

The Mondrian Collection

According to a New York Times reporter, however, Yves Saint Laurent was not the first to use Mondrian’s unmistakable graphics. A few years earlier, in fact, the French seamstress Michèle Rosier experimented this graphic on jersey dresses.

In fact, the Yves Saint Laurent creations appeared on the best magazines of the sector and occupied the rooms of the best galleries in the world.

Mondrian Collection, YSL

HERMES – “BROADWAY BOOGIE WOOGIE“

A second example liked to haute couture can be found in the fall-winter 2020 collection by Hermès. The fashion house, in addition to showing off clothing and accessories. It consists of primary colors and geometric sequences. It recreates a location faithful to the Dutch artist’s “Broadway Boogie Woogie” painting.

Hermes: Autumn-Winter 2020

MONDRIAN IN STREETWEAR – NIKE AND SUPREME

Also the streetwear world was influenced by the unmistakable geometric style of Mondrian. Among the famous collaborations, we recall:

• Nike with the Nike Dunk SB Low “Piet Mondrian” in 2008. Sneakers represent a real grail among sneakerheads reaching an average value of 1000 euros per resell. 
• Supreme in the spring-summer 2016 collection with the Color Blocked Track Jacket. It was followed by the fall-winter 2020 collection with the set of woolen hats and fleece jackets.

Nike Dunk SB Low “Piet Mondrian”, 2008.

Supreme: spring / summer 2016 and Supreme: fall / winter 2020

Read also:

Yves Saint Laurent: the beginning of a partnership in the world of fashion

Balenciaga

Supreme