Stephen Sprouse was a prolific and talented designer who defined punk rock glamour during the 1980s. His designs were hallmarked by sixties-inspired neon graffiti prints and silk satin mini-skirts. His style was fashioned from the streets and evolved as the underground art and music scenes began to surface in New York.
Sprouse revisioned the concepts of prints and colors; his magic marker scrawl and day-glo pop colors conveyed the same type of hyper and frenetic energy MTV was broadcasting from the streets and into our homes in the forms of punk rock, hip hop, new wave, and synthpop.
Taking much of his inspiration from popular music and art, Stephen Sprouse was a visionary in his approach to fashion. He was also strongly influenced by the space-age designs associated with the 1960s, using satellite photos from NASA as the backdrop and conception for many of his designs, which he described as "cyberpunk."
Diane Von Furstenberg's Spring 09 Collection, Rock Goddess, also channelled the free-flowing, artistic energy of Sprouse's colors and patterns. The collection was more rooted in the "hippie" era of the sixties which was part of Sprouse's inital inspiration, as well as, featured fabrics and silhouettes that were softer and less structured than Sprouse's more tailored, yet deconstructed pieces.
Vintage shopping offers many options to travel "back" in time and pay homage to Stephen Sprouse's vision and to celebrate the playful, hard-edge energy that defined the music and fashion of the eighties, while staying current with the bright optimism showcased in Von Furstenberg's Spring 09 collection.
Vintage Pieces Courtesy of Nasty Gal
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