"YEEZY MAFIA predicted back in July that the "Black/Red" adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 will be scheduled for a re-release later this year. Now, adidas has announced that in December, the highly sought-after pair is coming back. 

The pair designed by Kanye West first dropped in 2017 and, thanks to its clean black and red colorway that adorns the upper Primeknit, caused plenty of hype. This black and red pair was about as close as it got to a colorway reminiscent of the original adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 "Pirate Black 1.0.," before the 350 V2 "Pirate Black" was released, following pairs such as the common "Beluga" and the trio of reverse-printed "SPLY-350" V2s.

It features a medial side stripe of post-dyed monofilament with contrasting red reverse-printed "SPLY-350" text, as well as a full-length black-tinted BOOST sole unit lining, red textile trim stitching, black rope laces, and a matching sock liner. As a result, the sneaker was a massive hit in the reselling industry, commanding hundreds of dollars. 

Now for all the family, adidas is giving you the opportunity to cop the pair once again in sizes. The adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 "Black/Red" on the adidas app is scheduled to return on December 5 and will cost £ 179.95 GBP (approx. $240 USD) for adult sizes. Sizes for children and babies will cost about $160 USD and $120 USD, respectively.

In other news, Y’S Spring 2021 Ready-to-Wear. It was indeed true to brand, and got straight to the point. Using natural fabrics such as Cupro, rayon and cotton, the design team succeeded in walking that very fine line between understated and interesting.

Another chance to cop the highly sought-after sneaker.

THE ADIDAS YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 "BLACK/RED" IS RE-RELEASING NEXT MONTH

For the new Fall Winter 2020 shoes campaign, Louis Vuitton has tapped Korean-born DJ and influencer Peggy Gou. The new Louis Vuitton women's shoe collection showcases iconoclastic fashion, where gender boundaries are increasingly fluid, striking, relaxed, urban or more boyish.

The archival jacquard textile matches the elegant SILHOUETTE ankle boot or the PODIUM sandal, both recognizable from their recurring Monogram flower heel, as well as the more casual LV ARCHLIGHT sneaker, and even the LV BEAUBOURG derby. The Monogram canvas wins acclaim in the CHELSEA version, with boots reflecting a more masculine style. Other, typically hardy models are also infused with these aesthetic codes – such as the LAUREATE, the utterly desirable Desert Boots with a large platform sole, the METROPOLIS, where military inspiration and Monogram playfulness clash, or even the MATADOR. With a large square heel and pointed toes, these geometric, highly contrasting boots echo another classic: the Western Ankle Boot. Available in plain black or silver with a small gold chain and two-tone Monogram strap, or in black and red or black and Monogram canvas. – from Louis Vuitton

In other news, The Personal is The Fashion! Proenza Schouler: Spring 2021 Collection art book in collaboration with Daniel Shea.

A day in the life of Korean DJ and Influencer Peggy Gou.

PEGGY GOU MODELS LOUIS VUITTON FW20 SHOE COLLECTION

On the opening lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix, a devastating incident saw Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean's Haas car completely break in two, causing the infiltrated fuel cells to cause an explosion and the driver to be engulfed in flames. Thankfully, without any major injuries, the French driver escaped, only suffering minor burns to the back of his hands.

Grosjean took to Twitter to reassure fans of his well-being after the dramatic accident, and clarified that the incident has now changed his mind on the halo safety scheme, which has previously drawn criticism from many drivers and fans, but has now proved to be the one crucial measure that saved the life of the Haas driver. Some years ago, I wasn't for the halo, but I think it's the best thing we brought to Formula 1 and I wouldn't be able to talk to you today without it," he says in a video of him taken from his hospital bed." "Thank you to all the medical staff at the circuit, at the hospital, and hopefully I'll be able to write some messages to you soon and tell you how it's going."

Many other fellow drivers also took to social media after the race to highlight the sport's risks and wish Grosjean a speedy recovery. “After what happened today, you really put everything into perspective,” writes Racing Point’s Sergio Perez. “For me, one podium more, one podium less. It doesn’t matter. The most important thing of the day is that [Grosjean] is with us!”

“Solid performance out there for us tonight, but what matters most is that Romain walked away from that accident,” added Williams’ George Russell. “A big thank you to everybody who works so hard to make sure that’s the case, week in, week out. Any debate over the halo ends tonight.”

In other news, we invite you to Rick Owens’s Venetian house: “Italy Is Where I Create, and Paris Is Where I Am Judged”.

The French driver only suffered minor burns.

FORMULA 1 DRIVER ROMAIN GROSJEAN SURVIVES AFTER CAR SPLITS IN HALF

The lockdown of COVID left many scratching their heads for fashion shows around the possible changing landscape. Many soundbites spoke to 'Digital vs. Live' and 'Live Will Be Minimal.' From that discussion, the impression was curious about the street style eco-system as the merits and power levels of fashion street influencers can be debated, one can not debate that street has value. 

It is enough to claim the show continues as the mask was worn, photographers polished their lenses, and for the spring 2021 shows, though smaller, street style came alive. Kicking off in Copenhagen in August, the fashion flock mostly went about their business without mask. New York was mostly locals searching for a sun spot, but in London the street was bubbling again before coming to Milan and then Paris completely alive. Thankfully, the mask was everywhere and while we couldn't always catch a smile, IMAXtree photographers Vincenzo Grillo and Valentina Valdinoci and Nick Leuze did an excellent job.

Here is Cruvoir’s Best Street Style Photos of Spring 2021 for everyone to enjoy and remember we can and will all be together again, fashionably.

BEST FASHION STREET STYLE SPRING 2021 PHOTOS

This story originally appeared in i-D's 40th Anniversary Issue, no. 361, Winter 2020.

The photographer took a trip this summer with i-D's Fashion-Editor-at-Large Ib Kamara.

SARDINIAN YOUTH IN FANTASTICAL FASHION BY GIOVANNI CORABI

Mytheresa, the luxury e-commerce giant, has filed for an initial public offering. 

The German business plans to go public as early as the beginning of 2021 following the review process by the U.S., according to Bloomberg. Commission for Securities and Trade. While the company itself wrote in a statement that it has yet to decide a share sale size and price range, sources close to the issue have reported that Mytheresa is targeting a valuation of approximately $1 billion USD to $1.5 billion USD, although this is subject to change during this holiday season depending on the success of the company. The organization has already drawn interest from numerous special purpose acquisition companies during these early phases.

Mytheresa was established as a luxury store in Munich more than three decades ago. Its e-commerce company started in 2006 and has expanded to more than 700 employees since then, selling luxury goods to 140 countries around the world from more than 250 brands, including Prada, Givenchy and Gucci. The company was purchased for a price of approximately $253 million USD by department store operator Neiman Marcus in 2014, and was subsequently sold to Neiman's parent company, holding it safe from the recent bankruptcy of the latter.

In other news, Rick Owens drops Performa FW20 collection, made with overdyed, black-wax Japanese denim.

MYTHERESA FILES FOR $1.5 BILLION USD INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

Kei Ninomiya was asked the lazy reviewer's go-to query in March 2016, after his second Vogue Runway-covered presentation. My inspiration? For me? And he replied: "No inspiration!" Ten seasons on and briefly transplanted from Paris to Tokyo, Ninomiya's playing remains consistent. Its title was "Theme: No Theme," according to the notes accompanying this set. 

Once again this season, Ninomiya's sew-free construction techniques, he prefers rivets, snaps, or grommets, allowed him to create a series of hyper-extravagant handmade dresses, all of which would be perfect for a Björk album cover or a Nick Knight shoot. In materials like in order) rope, pearl, PVC, cord, "tube" (from those notes), a symphony of polyester fabrications, ribbon, satin, cotton, wool, three styles of leather, and taffeta with which the incredible aura-haze of the last look was constructed, grandiose modern silhouettes were delineated.

Notable in the notes was that more descriptive energy was allotted to the four varieties of this-season partnership with the Prada-owned English shoemaker Church's than the 24 looks worn with them. But then along with his biker jackets, these florally studded footwear options are the best way to buy into the Ninomiya aesthetic. Even though, like his mentor Rei Kawakubo, Ninomiya remains shy to the point of retiring when asked about it the aesthetic continues to evolve meaningfully. Another drastic no-theme set from the apparent heir was this.

Ninomiya has built a distinctly dramatic schematic over those seasons that marks him not only as a member of the Comme des Garçons family, but also as a designer of great individuality.

Thom Browne has once again turned his attention to the world of sport to launch a new sportswear and compression range after dropping his latest FC Barcelona-themed collection in support of the Barca Foundation. 

The label, which was created over the past 18 months, looked at the designer's dedication to sport as a runner and athlete to perfect a category of apparel that would fit the wardrobe of any sportsman. 

The outcome: a selection of shell jackets, running shorts, track pants, compression tights and T-shirts, each of which comes in either "Charcoal" or navy colorways. 

Furthermore the brand has also introduced three new models to its football capsule: the Football Parka, a Heritage Trainer and a pair of gray mirrored tortoise shell sunglasses, based on the iconic oversized parkas Browne wore growing up. 

The complete set is available now from the Thom Browne webstore for pre-order.

Drawing on inspiration from the designer’s devotion to sports.

THOM BROWNE SPORTSWEAR AND COMPRESSION COLLECTION

Designed in collaboration with Leica and handcrafted at the MYKITA HAUS in Berlin, the MYKITA | LEICA collection is defined by its reduced, functional design focused on superior performance. Seamless mechanical solutions and material connections echo the beautiful precision engineering of Leica’s iconic products and create a refined eyewear aesthetic.

Signature elements from the Leica design language will resonate with brand enthusiasts while forming a new, standalone eyewear aesthetic: the geometric lens shape is a recurring theme, a reference to the frontal view of a Leica camera lens hood, or the distinctive lacquering inlays and the Leica font for the temple inscription, and ultimately the reduced colour palette made up of matt silver, black, taupe grey and red accents.

To create sunglasses with uncompromising quality and clarity of vision, MYKITA and Leica have pioneered sun lenses with optical grade quality. The organic lenses are ground and polished from a cast lens blank in a process normally reserved for prescription lenses. The lens is also distinguished by the specially developed AquaDura® Vision Pro coating, adapted from the field of sport optics and professional photography.

This achromatic anti-reflective coating provides invisible protection against rear reflections without the usual colour sheen. It protects against water, dirt and damage, preventing fogging and facilitating effortless removal of fingerprints and stains. All lenses offer complete UV protection; polarized lenses filter harmful light components, such as glare and surface reflections.

In other news,Dion LeeSpring 2021 Ready-to-Wear collection:Lee’s at his bestwhen he leans into the more provocative parts of his oeuvre.

To create sunglasses with uncompromising quality and clarity of vision, MYKITA and Leica have pioneered sun lenses with optical grade quality.

LEICA AND MYKITA TEAM UP FOR CAMERA-INSPIRED COLLABORATION

Charles Jeffrey's Loverboy series of clothes and friends is a sort of frieze of the crazy-joyful battle against fear of young fashion. Here they are, the expansive Loverboy family, captured by Tim Walker in 64 photographs, a work that is also printed in the memory of the times in a 16-foot long concertina. Says Jeffrey, "I wanted it to be a physical representation of a stream of consciousness." "It kind of portrays my brain as I was thinking during lockdown on long walks to the studio. Taking up space is what we do in a show with Loverboy. But that's gone now, stopped now. I thought: What does it look like when we all stay away from each other? ”

With Jeffrey acting as an invocator-provoker of good against evil, it ended up as the Healing, a crazy celebration of sexiness, inclusion, and craft-y life-forces. Loverboy has always been a club group, but also a digital community of friends who have gravitated towards us. "He says that there are a lot of really cool people here, describing them in his press release as "our queer family caught in defiant joy." "It was originally known in the studio as the Emergency Set," he recalls. Then, everyone except me, had to go home. "There was this panic." The Scottish folk tradition introduced by the Burryman on his solitary 10-mile daily walks, "costumes that ward off evil," unexpectedly popped into Jeffrey's head. That got the jumping of his imaginative synapses. Our interns, God bless them, began working on the collection with us, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and enthusiastic. I didn’t want to take that experience away from them, so we set a craft project they could work on remotely.”

The emblems in the Loverboy panels of protective armor are Culture, Fitness, and Hope, embroidered in isolation by interns. Simultaneously, the inconsistencies between imposed separation and the desire to feel unified sent Jeffrey down a rabbit-warren of research into "warning signs in nature." The vibrant clashing colors and patterns in the collection popped out of the search engine, inspired by poison dart frogs, blue-ringed octopi, puss moth caterpillars, hickory tussock moths, and marbled cone snails. "Well, poisonous marks are also very vivid and appealing in nature. As an individual who works with color, the weird interplay felt very instinctive to me. How it may keep individuals apart, but still put them together."

The road from there to recovery went through chromotherapy, but literally, in all the eye-dancing Loverboy energy radiating from multicolored knits, tartans, and psychedelic prints, it's just there very simply and visually. Right now, sorry for the moment, but never mind, there will be no physical spaces for clubbing activities or fashion performances. The territorial rights to identity and psychic liberation that the Loverboy generation has mapped out the progression, as Jeffrey puts it from emergency, terror, and jittering-anguish to elation, sex, communion," still exist amid the troubled times.

The emblems in the Loverboy panels of protective armor are Culture, Fitness, and Hope, embroidered in isolation by interns

Fashion has always been one to challenge traditions and spark debate worldwide throughout history. Think Tom Ford, Alexander Wang, Dolce & Gabbana, and more. With their provocative imagery, these fashion brands and houses have sparked more than just controversy. Many of these commercials have actually been banned and strongly criticized because they contain offensive and often pornographic images and have to be removed from the highways, magazines and banners. And here we are rounding up 18 of the most controversial campaigns that have rocked the world and the history of fashion.

One of many banned Sisley adverts, shot by Terry Richardson.

Banned Miu Miu campaign featuring actress Hailee Steinfeld shot by Bruce Weber in 2011, was branded "irresponsible" for its hazardous railway setting.

Master provocateur Tom Ford's fragrance from 2007 shot by Terry Richardson was banned in several countries.

Banned Sisley ad from 2001, featuring Josie Maran posing with a cow's udder, shot by Terry Richardson.

The controversial UNHATE campaign featuring pope Benedict XVI and imam Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb sharing a kiss in 2011 was forced to be taken down after a matter of hours.

Paying homage to the famous 1971 photograph of Yves Saint Laurent, the full-frontal advert featuring Samuel de Cubber for the fragrance M7 received over 730 complaints in 2002.

In 1995 Calvin Klein caused a stir as models posed in a wood-panelled basement for a series of shots lensed by Steven Meisel.

The 1995 CK series generated immediate backlash for the youthful appearance of the models.

Critics asked if Benetton had gone too far in 1992 when their campaign featured the final moments of David Kirby's life; a photo noted to have changed the face of AIDS.

United Colours of Benetton replaced their title with "colours of domestic violence" to highlight abuse.

Benetton's sister brand Sisley's "fashion junkie" ad from 2007 was banned for glamourising drugs.

An ad from the controversial campaign series 'Tom Ford for Men,' shot by Terry Richardson in 2007.

'Public Enemy' by Mario Testino for Gucci featuring Carmen Kass exposing the letter ‘G’ shaved into her body hair was banned in 2003.

Mia Goth for Miu Miu SS15 shot by Steven Meisel was banned for being "irresponsible" for showing what could be seen as a child in a sexually suggestive pose, despite her age.

This Gucci campaign caused controversy for the “power pose” of the man and provocative position of the woman.

Receiving 948 complaints in 2000, the suggestive YSL Opium perfume ad featuring Sophie Dahl found a spot on the ASA's 'Top 10 Most Complained About Ads' list.

This nude shot of Cara Delevingne for Tom Ford's fragrance Black Orchid received two complaints for its sexual nature, but was not banned.

In other news, Dion Lee Spring 2021 Ready-to-Wear collection: Lee’s at his best when he leans into the more provocative parts of his oeuvre.

18 of the most controversial campaigns that have rocked the world and the history of fashion.

Louis Vuitton has unveiled LVxNBA, the National Basketball Association (NBAfirst )'s menswear capsule collection of designs by Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton's Creative Director for Men. 

Louis Vuitton has collaborated with Madison Square Garden (MSG) as part of the house's ongoing partnership with the NBA to offer a virtual sale experience shot inside the iconic arena of the New York Knick. The LVxNBA digital debut at MSG, created as a special yet personal virtual experience, is open to the public through a link on the Louis Vuitton homepage.

By merging French craftsmanship with American sports, Abloh produced LVxNBA, a limited line of clothing and accessories that incorporates the logos of the two institutions. The collection adapts the codes of the Men's Artistic Director with the basketball universe's iconography and respects the ideals of relatability and inclusion that are central to his vision at Louis Vuitton. The NBA's visual identity is assimilated into the new Louis Vuitton motifs in the series. Abloh focuses on three aspects of style that are important to the wardrobe of any NBA player: travel, game arrivals, and press conferences.

This collection celebrates the cultural contribution of basketball and its diverse characters, and the idea of relatability as a force of unity.

– Virgil Abloh, Men’s Artistic Director Louis Vuitton

By using drone footage of the clothes, shoes and accessories on show within the arena, Louis Vuitton and MSG developed a unique combination of sport, design and technology to increase that culture. Many who attend the event will explore the collection by navigating through a virtual sale environment around the capsule presentation with the opportunity to display individual items up close in full detail and buy ties. 

Men who admire style fill the sporting world, but players from no league have committed to fashion like those in the NBA. On game day as the stars walk into their stadiums, we see personal expressions ranging from a finely cut custom suit all the way to a casual ensemble pieced together by some of the most expensive brands in the world. These men have a runway at their hands, and if they're not going to use it, they'll be damned!

In other news, Rick Owens' wife Michèle Lamy and Katerina Jebb’s functional serving tray made of a scenographic portrait of Lamy imagined by Jebb.

With Every Game Already Flanked By Fashion, The NBA Teams Up With Louis Vuitton.

LOUIS VUITTON LAUNCHES LV X NBA COLLABORATION WITH NBA ALL-STARS

The Attico is a hedonist mindset based on the combination of two very different personalities: one outward, bold and ebullient, the other reserved, calm and considered. Contrasts are electrifying and The Attico strives on that, as Gilda’s knack for feisty opulence meets Giorgia’s sense for sensual restraint. The Attico’s unique aesthetic stems from this juxtaposition.

The Attico is a collection of collectibles: brave items to fall in love with; feats of embellishment, opulence and seduction meant to be collected in time. There is a hint nostalgia to it all: a longing for sparkling times when glamour ruled and sequins, feathers and plunging necklines were a must. Gilda and Giorgia call it modern vintage. The collection is thought for women who are strong, spirited and individual. Women who play with seduction and sophistication, who are all about living large, and enjoying it in whichever way possible.

Fashion is just the beginning, because The Attico is a point of view on life, not just style. More will follow. Everything looks smashing from upstairs. Join!

In other news, Spring 2021 Ready-to-Wear Mugler collection. There’s the hyper-sexy clothes, and then there’s the way Cadwallader is going about making them!

The Attico is a point of view on life, not just style.

If Gucci's revamp in the 1990's by Tom Ford has a non-monetary legacy, it is firmly grounded in sex. Texas-born Ford gave the faltering Italian leather goods manufacturer, who was on the brink of bankruptcy in 1994 (when he was promoted to the role of creative director) during his tenure at Gucci from 1990 to 2004, an identity... a bold and sexy one. 

As Sarah Mower of Vogue wrote in 2004, on the heels of the Ford finale, he brought the "embodiment of sexual confidence, burnished to a high gloss and bursting with predatory power" to the Guccio Gucci-founded and formerly family-owned business. A symbolic figure of the hedonistic highs of the past decade, complete with "mean-looking black skirtsuits fanatically worked to the body, ruched to the ribs, and pieced to grip the derriere in multiple complex slivers." International success resulted. Sales at Gucci increased by 90 percent between 1995 and 1996, and the Gucci Group was valued at $10 billion when Ford left in 2004.

Mr. Ford, who joined Gucci when he was barely 30 years old, was charged with revitalizing the business and its reputation and image, which he did, turning the brand of once-quaint leather goods into the home of it' products, whether it was cut-out jersey frocks, mod mini-dresses, or perfectly sculpted suits for her. As Amy Larocca of the New York Magazine wrote following Ford's final outing for Gucci, "What Ford did for fashion, season after season, was constantly bringing up sex-in-your-face, jutting-pelvic-bone sex... He was not subtle: Ford shaved a tidy G into the pubic hair of a model for an ad campaign when the fashion world did lady with structured handbags and tweedy pencil skirts." 

Taking a page from the boundary-pushing campaigns of Calvin Klein in the 1980s, and with the French stylist Carine Roitfeld, known for her own sex-dripping aesthetic, Ford's Gucci advertising campaigns were some of the most iconic (and shocking) in the history of fashion, led, of course, by the one referenced by Larocca: The ad starring Carmen Kass (even though we do not see her face), who has the Gucci “G” shaved into her pubic hair.

Ford, meanwhile also worked at Yves Saint Laurent's helm, which is also owned by what was at the time PPRR (now Kering). Ford followed a similarly divisive path at YSL. In 2000, he dreamt of a campaign for YSL's Opium scent, which the eponymous founder of the house had launched some 30 years earlier. The ad featured model Sophie Dahl lounging on her back wearing nothing but gold jewelry, green eyeshadow (the perfect contrast to her fiery red hair), and a pair of strappy YSL heels, taken by Steven Meisel and designed by Roitfeld. For a little while at least, the image was plastered on billboards throughout the United Kingdom. 

The phone started to ring at the office of the British Advertising Standards Authority ('ASA') not long after the image of Dahl went up around cities in the UK. Thanks to its model of operation, namely its recognition of complaints from the public and professionals, the independent regulator of ads in all media in the ASA was used to receive formal objections to negative or distasteful advertisements in play in the UK.

YSL's in-house produced Opium ad was different, however. The ASA has received almost 1,000 complaints about the essence of the initiative over a period of only a few months. This was more than had been earned by the regulatory body in the previous five years and is now one of the most objected to campaigns to date. 

Complaints argued that the image was too sexually provocative and unacceptable for children to be viewed. "Others saw it as "anti-women," in the midst of the controversy Dahl herself said of the campaign; something she dismissed saying that in fact I think it's really empowering for women." Ford also noted that the fragrance ad, created by perfumers Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac and oozing with mandarin orange, jasmine, sandalwood and patchouli essences, was a nod to house’s history of sexual provocation and female liberation.

Nonetheless the campaign was pulled from billboards in the face of some 900-plus protests, but was allowed to remain in "appropriate magazines." 

However, this was not the first time that the scent of the house was at the core of a fall-out. YSL was the subject of widespread protests prior to the official launch of the fragrance in 1978, which centered on its name and came primarily from the American Coalition Against Opium and Drug Abuse, a committee that claimed that the name of the fragrance demonstrated "insensitivity to Chinese history and Chinese American concerns" and that the brand supported "a threat that destroyed many lives in China").

YSL, the man and the brand, channeled its fury into sales in the absence of regulatory interference. "As The Rake noted at the end of 2015, "The controversy fanned the sales of the perfume and in its first nine months produced over $3 million. When the fragrance eventually hit shelves, YSL opted not for a low-key soirée [or a diplomatic public statement." Instead the company hosted 800 guests, from Cher and Truman Capote to Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland and fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick." Testers were stolen, posters ripped from the walls and shops sold out within hours of its release." 

The after-party took place at the famous Studio 54 in New York.

That was still not the only time YSL faced distaste for its Opium-inspired collection. "In early 2011, Belle d'Opium was the subject of scorn and ASA action when it was featured in an ad campaign that "featured a woman who appeared to be under the influence of narcotics." In the case, the ASA received more than a dozen complaints about the campaign, complete with a commercial that the ASA said featured a woman running her finger through the inside of her arm, which "could be seen to mimic the campaign.

In response to the ASA, YSL defended itself and its commercial, claiming it was a responsible advertiser" and did not plan to use drug imagery in the ad. It further held that its market analysis found that the ad was not viewed by audiences as encouraging the use of drugs. 

The ASA stopped the ad from concluding that the broadcast was "irresponsible and unacceptable." 

Opium remains one of YSL's best-selling scents, and the company is ready to unleash a new campaign for its Black Opium fragrance in partnership with L'Oréal, which owns the YSL Beauté license, revealing that Zoe Kravitz will be the new foreign face and spokesperson.

THE SCANDALOUS HISTORY OF YVES SAINT LAURENT’S OPIUM FRAGRANCE OBSESSION

In a 2012 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York about the birth of abstraction, curators highlighted the way artists might have influenced each other. The exhibition, entitled "Inventing Abstraction: 1910-1925," highlighted the radical departures of over 80 artists from the conventions of representational art, and opened with a large diagram depicting their network to show who knew each other (an interactive version of which is online) towards the middle with the most linked, such as Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky.

Exhibition curator Leah Dickerman (now MoMA's editorial and content management director) was partially inspired by a course she took with Columbia Business School professor and Chazen Senior Scholar Paul Ingram while working on the show with her colleagues, which was about how curators can use their professional networks to achieve success. Ingram helped create an early version of the network of early abstraction pioneers, and he later used the same knowledge to embark on a new investigation. 

The results of MoMA were used by Ingram and his colleague Mitali Banerjee of HEC Paris to investigate the role imagination and social networks played for these artists in relation to the degree of fame they achieved. In a 2018 article, they relayed their observations, including that having friends might be more critical for effective artists than creating novel art.

Ingram and Banerjee began their research by quantifying the artists' fame, imagination, and social network in "Inventing Abstraction." To assess the popularity of each artist, they turned to the historical text database of Google in French and English (since the artists lived mainly in France and the U.S.), and documented the number of mentions that each artist had between 1910 and 1925. Ingram noted that they were looking at fame in terms of how well-known the performers were within their own social circles, "and we are essentially saying [that how often you show up is an indicator of that in the written word."

They relied on MoMA studies to investigate the social networks of the artists, which were focused on sources such as biographies and letters from artists to classify relationships. Ingram and Banerjee studied the social circles of the artists, which also included data on the ethnicity, sex, age, and location of each artist, as well as the media they were using and the schools they attended. (They did not look into the exhibition history of the artists or the demand for their work, although such factors may be included in Banerjee's future study, Ingram said.) 

They employed two approaches in order to grasp the ingenuity of the artists' work. First to evaluate and rate the creativity of thousands of artworks by the relevant artists, they used machine learning; the computer program rated how unique works are relative to a collection of 19th century representational artworks. They also asked four art historians, based on criteria such as originality and novelty, to score artworks by each artist for their creativity.

Although previous studies have indicated that there is a link between creativity and fame, on the other hand, Ingram and Banerjee found that these artists did not have such a correlation. Rather, regardless of how innovative their art was, artists with a wide and diverse network of connections were more likely to be famous. 

In particular, having a network of contacts from different nations was the greatest predictor of fame for an artist. This suggests that the artist was cosmopolitan and had the potential to enter multiple markets or create ideas influenced by foreign cultures, Ingram believes. Kandinsky, he said, was the 'linchpin of the network.' They also noticed that famous artists appeared to be older, perhaps because as abstraction was evolving, they were already famous, Ingram explained.

In terms of creativity, they found that neither the computational tests nor the expert opinions of art historians were good indicators of the renown of an artist. In other words, they were not generally renowned if an artist had high creativity ratings. 

"The paper's important implication is to demonstrate that diverse networks not only matter as a source of creativity... but could mean other advantages," said Ingram. "Apart from creativity, artists profit from a cosmopolitan identity."

The results of Ingram and Banerjee are not surprising given the modern imperative to meet new people and network through skilled industries in order to open themselves up to job opportunities and growth. They do however, give substantial reminders that we are not going to become famous in a vacuum and should strive to diversify our social circles. 

The researchers pointed to the example of two artists within the group, Vanessa Bell and Suzanne Duchamp, in order to explain the results. While neither artist is a household name, they had very famous siblings (Virginia Woolf and Marcel Duchamp, respectively), sharing similar backgrounds and had similar creativity ratings, but Bell was more famous.

Suzanne Duchamp was part of the Dada circle while Vanessa Bell was part of the Bloomsbury community," the authors wrote, "Both artists were part of prominent artists' groups. Nevertheless the social circle of Duchamp was limited to the artists of Dada; indeed, even within this circle, her closest friends were her brother Marcel, her husband Jean Crotti, and her family friend, the artist Francis Picabia. In comparison, the social world of Vanessa Bell included the Bloomsbury group, a wide variety of artists who were part of the London Group, collectors and patrons outside England, such as Gertrude Stein, as well as theatre producers and artists affiliated with Les Ballet Russes by Sergei Diaghilev. Ultimately, the more diverse circle of Bell coincides with her greater fame.

"What we know from various kinds of research is that creativity is fed by diversity in networks, which is also an important thing for artists," Ingram explained. Having such a network, he added, meant that "if you are connected to a diverse set of others, you could kind of be positioned in a market, and may be more interesting and worthy of attention." And although the study focused on a particular, century-old background, he predicts that the results are true for artists today.

The results of MoMA were used by Ingram and his colleague Mitali Banerjee of HEC Paris to investigate the role imagination and social networks played for these artists in relation to the degree of fame they achieved.

STUDY FINDS ARTISTS BECOME FAMOUS THROUGH THEIR FRIENDS, NOT THE ORIGINALITY OF THEIR WORK

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