Style Imitating Art: Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours) by Sonia Delaunay
About Style Imitating Art
Style Imitating Art is hosted by Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks, Salazar of 14 Shades of Grey, and Terri of Meadowtree Style. Style Imitating Art challenges us to draw style inspiration from pieces of art. Every other Monday, one of the hosts, acting as curator, selects an inspiration image that they will each post on their blogs. The following Monday, each host shares her art inspired outfit. Participants are invited to submit their art inspired outfits to the curator by 10:00 p.m. EST on the Tuesday following the hosts’ art inspired outfit posts. The following day, Wednesday, the curator will share all of the submissions on her blog.
You do not have to be a blogger to join. You are invited to share your images on Instagram or other social media platforms or you can just play along and the host will share your photo. If you do share on social media, please spread the word by using #TeamLOTSStyle and #StyleImitatingArt and also tag the hosts Salazar, Terri, and Daenel so they know you have joined. Go have some fun in your closets and join the SIA challenge next week!
The Inspiration Artwork
The inspiration artwork was curated by Terri of Meadowtree Style. You can read why she has chosen this specific piece as her inspiration artwork here.
Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours) by Sonia Delaunay (Oil on Canvas, 1925)
About the Artist: Sonia Delaunay
Sonia Delaunay was a Russian-born French artist best known for her creative work in textile, fashion, and set design. She was a co-founder (with her husband Robert among others) of the Orphism art movement which is an offshoot of Cubism with a focus on pure abstraction and bright colors. The Orphism movement is considered a key movement in the transition from Cubism to Abstract art. The majority of Sonia’s works are representative of this movement with her focus on strong colors and geometric shapes. In 1964, she became the first living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre. In 1975, she was named an officer of the French Legion of Honor.
Sarah Ilinitchna Stern was born in Russia on November 14, 1885, to a foreman of a nail factory and his wife. At a very young age, she was sent to St. Petersburg to live with her mother’s brother, Henri Terk, and his wife Anna, who informally “adopted” her in 1890, at which point she assumed the name Sonia Terk. Her “adopted” parents had considerable affluence and she spent her youth extensively traveling throughout Europe while they spent most summers in Finland. As a result, Sonia had much exposure to the contemporary art world visiting galleries all across the continent.
Being recognized as a gifted artist in school, she was sent to art school in Germany at the age of 18 upon the recommendation of one of her secondary school teachers. In 1905 at the age of 20, she moved to Paris where she was heavily influenced by the post-impressionism art movement.
Three years later in 1908, she married German art dealer and gallery owner Wilhelm Uhde. It was purely a marriage of convenience as Uhde wanted to a wife to hide his homosexuality and Sonia needed access to her dowry so she could continue pursuing her art career with adequate financial support. However, early the next year, she met Robert Delaunay as he and his mother were frequent visitors of Uhde’s gallery. Sonia and Robert became lovers in April of 1909 at which time she and Uhde decided to divorce. Their divorce was finalized in August of 1910 and she married Delaunay on November 15 of that year, giving birth to her son Charles Delaunay just two months later on January 18, 1911.
In 1911, Sonia made a patchwork quilt for her son’s crib that was composed of bits of fabric similar to those she had seen in the homes of Ukrainian peasants during her childhood. She noticed that the arrangement of the fabric pieces evoked Cubist conceptions and this is the point that contemporary art critics recognize as her shift away from perspective and naturalism in her works. The quilt is currently on display in the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris.
From 1914-1920, Sonia, Robert, and their son Charles lived in Spain and Portugal where she began building her career as a costume designer when the revolution cut off her money supply from Russia. She opened Casa Sonia, her first clothing boutique, in Madrid in 1919. In 1921, they returned to Paris permanently where Sonia continued with costume design as well as clothing designs for private clients. She also embarked on fabric design during this time period. In 1923, she created 50 different designs using geometric shapes and bold colors on commission for a manufacturer in Lyon.
In the 1930’s, Sonia and Robert’s son Charles Delaunay was thriving as a jazz expert in Paris. He was the founder of the first jazz club in France as well as the first editor of Jazz Hot Magazine.
Sonia died in Paris on December 5, 1979, at the age of 94.
About the Art: Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours) (1925)
Sonia and Robert Delaunay created a sub-branch of Orphism called Simultanism, an artistic approach that focuses on the phenomenon of simultaneous contrast in which colors will appear differently depending on the other colors surrounding it.
In 1913, Sonia created her first “simultaneous” dress by sewing together oddly shaped pieces of fabric in non-uniform sizes and colors. This dress was created for actress Gloria Swanson to dance the tango at Bal Bullier and was described by Apollinaire as “a living painting” and “a sculpture of living forms.” It became the inspiration for the center dress in Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours).
The inspiration painting was originally called Trois femmes, forms, couleurs as was stated on the label attached to the painting for exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris in 1926. The artist eventually changed the name of the painting to Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours) in her personal inventory. This painting is an oil on canvas and belongs to a group of works where the artist transferred the result of her fashion designs from paper onto canvas. The painting is currently housed at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, Spain.
Robes simultanées (trois femmes, forms, couleurs), or, Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours) depicts three featureless female forms in mannequin like poses wearing dresses that combine both earth tones and primary colors with a distinct array of geometric shapes and forms. The trifold dressing screen in the background of the painting features different color schemes on each of the panels to reflect each of the mannequin figures. This particular painting, while quite different from much of her painted work, is a direct reflection of the intersection between art and fashion illustrating how art inspires fashion and how fashion inspires art.
Resources/References:
- Who is Sonia Delaunay?
- The Art Story: Sonia Delaunay
- Wikipedia: Sonia Delaunay
- Wikipedia: Robert Delaunay
- Wikipedia: Charles Delaunay
- Wikipedia: Orphism (art)
- Sonia Delaunay: Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours)
- WikiArt: Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours) by Sonia Delaunay
- WikiArt: Simultaneous Dress by Sonia Delaunay
About My Outfit Inspired by Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours)
The central figure was the first to attract my attention and it immediately reminded me of my very favorite kimono in earthy tones with geometric shapes. I wanted to combine this pattern with something that was reflective of the figure on the left in blue and white triangles. This striped dress matched the colors in the painting perfectly and when I held it against the print of the kimono, I really liked the contrast and the fun mix of patterns.
To represent the little black dress with the gray sash that the third figure is wearing, I added black tassel slides, a silver belt, and silver jewelry. I did not realize that the background of the painting was supposed to be a trifold dressing screen until I started researching for this post. I thought it was big tall city buildings and so we headed out into town to take some photos by tall buildings. But then I remembered the fun painted garage in town and it was the perfect background with it’s combination of bold colors and geometric shapes (the first set of photos above).
To see more outfits inspired by Sonia Delaunay’s Simultaneous Dresses (Three Women, Forms, Colours), please visit Terri’s post for the complete roundup of submissions. You can also read the details of Terri’s own inspired outfit here, Salazar’s here, and Daenel’s here. Have you joined the Style Imitating Art challenges yet? Be sure to check for the next prompt on Monday, May 24, 2021.
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.
Outfit Details: Kimono-c/o Rosegal / Dress and Shoes-Target / Belt, Necklace, and Earrings-Old
30 Comments
Reni E.
Wow, I love your interpretation of the painting very much. The idea of layering the dress and the beautiful kimono is awesome.
XOXO Reni
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Reni! I was really pleased with how this outfit came together to represent all the aspects of the painting. I hope you are having the most wonderful week!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
You nailed it. Perfect. So very nice. Great job there and thanks for the info on her.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Patrick! Have a wonderful Wednesday!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sarah
Love your spot-on interpretation of the painting, and thank you for the history!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Sarah! This was really fun!
xoxo
Shelbee
Terri Gardner
Love all your research. She was such an incredible artist and the fact that she could sew makes her all the more special to me. Your outfit and choice of setting are fantastic. Thank you for being so faithful to this project. Salazar really came up with something special all those years ago.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Terri! I am so grateful to the three of you for hosting this series! It really is a wonderful idea. I wish I had discovered it sooner. I am learning so much about art history as well as looking at my wardrobe a little bit differently. And our blogs are the perfect outlet for sharing the things that make us feel passion!
xoxo
Shelbee
Moumous
Wonderful post Shelbee :-). I was mostly attracted by the outfit ( I love it) but I also enjoy the reading.
XO,
Moumous
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Moumous! I definitely think these art prompts are helping me get even more creative with my outfit combinations. It is a really fun series!
xoxo
Shelbee
Darlene
Shelbee, I love this post! Your interpretation of that piece is spot on. Abstract art is one of my absolute favs and it’s so interesting to read about this artist. Posing by the buildings and garage with geometric paint job is truly inspired! You captured it beautifully, my friend!
xx Darlene
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Darlene! I am really enjoying researching these art works and artists as well as getting creative with styling outfits. Have you joined Style Imitating Art yet? You definitely should give it a try! The next prompt will be posted on Monday.
xoxo
Shelbee
Lucy Bertoldi
Such a fantastic post- I love how you interpreted the art!! And let’s talk about this breathtaking kimono!!! Love!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh, thank you so very much, my friend! I love this kimono so much! It was one of the very first gifted items I received for review on my blog. I wear it all the time and it has shown up on the blog lots of times! I should do a whole post dedicated to it and dig up all the ways I have worn it.
xoxo
Shelbee
jodie filogomo
Dang girl…what an amazing way to put all three dresses into one!!
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Hehe, thanks so much, Jodie! This was a another fun art inspiring style prompt!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
I’m always in awe when you imitate these abstract pieces of art so well!! You did a great job for this one. Especially with the black and white patterned building!
Jennifer
Curated By Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jennifer! I am really enjoying these art prompts as they allow me to approach my wardrobe differently and I can get so much more creative with styling!
xoxo
Shelbee
mireille
I love all the backgrounds! And seeing the picture right next to your interpretation is really great to see how it translated in real life. The pattern mixing is really cool.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mireille! This was fun to shoot but the wind was really cold! I am having such a great time with these art prompts!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sheila (of Ephemera)
The kimono is EVERYTHING! I love it, and your inspiration of the black and white background is amaing. Love this!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, my friend! This kimono was one of the first gifted items I ever received to review on my blog and it has been a favorite ever since. I am contemplating a big ass post showing all the ways I have styled it on the blog. Now to find the time to do all the things on my list!
xoxo
Shelbee
Daenel
Shelbee, what a fabulous outfit. You totally nailed every aspect — the kimono is beautiful.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Daenel! I need to do an entire post dedicated to this kimono! It is my favorite and I have worn it so many times on the blog that I could give it a whole post to itself!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jamie
So beautiful!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Jamie! Have a great day!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
That kimono is gorgeous and a perfect choice for the SIA challenge. And so cool you were able to find a black and white background. Amazing!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Michelle! I thought of this black and white wall before I even thought of the outfit, I think! Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
I love your interpretation Shelbee! The kimono is beautiful. It was really interesting to read about this artist. Thanks for linking up!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Emma! This is my favorite ever kimono! I think it needs its own dedicated blog post one of these days!
xoxo
Shelbee