Ever the art-chameleon, Cindy Sherman gives us a new reason to follow Fashion’s Night Out this Friday, September 10th, as Balenciaga’s creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière, hosts the U.S. debut of Cindy Sherman: Untitled (Balenciaga), a series of six images featuring the artist’s trademark portraits, dressed exclusively and completely in Balenciaga.
Since 1977, Sherman has been displaying stills of herself transformed into female stereotypes, movie stars, centerfold nudes, fairy tale characters, disaster victims, and historical figures. While the stories behind her photo narratives may be up for interpretation, her ability to capture the soul of every woman she conveys is unquestionable, often leaving us astounded, shaken, and deeply touched by her work.
High-fashion may seem like a jarring venue for Sherman’s provocative images, but Ghesquière is no ordinary creative director. With Balenciaga since 1997, he has brought the brand back to its empire status and sought to break free of fashion’s stereotypes, creating designs for women that are simultaneously symmetric and sensual, masculine and feminine, glamorous and practical. Seemingly uninterested in making the clothes more important than the woman who wears them, it should come as no surprise that Ghesquière wanted to collaborate with Sherman, who will undoubtedly leave an impression upon any audience, regardless of what she’s wearing. The clothes, in this case, are truly meant to collaborate with the model rather than upstage her. Refreshing, to say the least.
This fashion-spread-turned-art-show promises to be a union of powerhouses, with a musical set performed by Karen Elson, hosted by the brand’s flagship store in the Meatpacking District at 8 p.m. sharp. This won’t be any ordinary Friday night, rest assured.
© Cindy Sherman
