September 2, 2020 |
Lydia Blakely is our sort of artist. Graduating from Goldsmiths MFA in June of last year, the young talent has been able to perfectly encapture an irreverent sort of British wit in her paintings. Her previous subjects have included drunken Scousers at the Grand National, snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and a whole host of whippits; scrawny and beady-eyed. Blakely’s depictions of the latter particularly caught the attention of Swedish fashion powerhouse Acne Studios, who have nabbed the artist for her very first collaboration.
“[Acne Studios] really create an interesting and thoughtful intersection between the fashion world and the art world,” explains Blakely. “I knew I was in good hands with the brand, they are so considerate with my work but also introduce a fresh way of how my work can be seen.”
Infatuated with the unbreakable bond between canine and human, Blakely uses art historical paintings to study how dogs have remained a symbol of status, loyalty and protection. The collaboration saw the artist look specifically at the performance and pageantry of dog shows. “The bright green carpet of the arena almost acts like a green screen or backdrop and the dogs play the lead roles of the performance, the humans are the supporting characters,” she says. “There is something captivating about the dogs’ expressions, they are endearing, and I like to think of these paintings as little scenes from one big performance.”
Whippits, dachshunds and other prize pooches can be seen across jacquard denim, gentle hoodies and twill shirts in pastel hues. Such pieces are paired with argyle knits and checked suits that pop in lilacs, pinks and aquarium gravel blues. The full collection can be seen modelled by members of the Acne Studios team in Sweden, who each pose with their very own doggies – very sweet, indeed.
Photographs by Anders Edstrom. Acne Studio’s AW20 capsule collection is available online and in select stores.
