A Tribute To Beene – In Fashion & Art

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The New York Sun

If you left empty-handed from Sotheby’s auction of Geoffrey Beene’s estate last week, take heart. One of the designer’s devoted clients has published a book of photography that combines fashion and art in highly original style. “Geoffrey Beene: A Design Tribute,” (2wice Arts Foundation, $50), is filled with photos of his garments modeled by dancer Holley Farmer, a member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.


All of the clothing photographed, more than 40 pieces, belongs to philanthropist Patsy Tarr, the president of the grant-making organization 2wice Arts Foundation.


Ms. Tarr met Beene in the early 1980s at one of his fashion shows but did not know the extremely private designer outside of the fitting room. “It really was as if I was having a relationship with the clothing, not him,” Ms. Tarr said. “I would have been happy to be friends with him, but he was very shy.”


All of the pieces she collected, both ready-to-wear and custom-made, are featured in the book along with accessories. The limited-edition volume contains three portfolio books of eight pages each. The foldout spreads provide a window into Beene’s eclectic, humorous, and inventive vision. By bringing a dancer into the project, Ms. Tarr united three elements, all of which were pivotal for Beene: art, photography, and fashion.


Ms. Tarr’s hope is to emphasize the fluidity and artistry of the designer’s clothing by showing them on the sculpted body of a dancer. Indeed, photographer Shoji Van Kuzumi captured the energy of Ms. Farmer’s poses along with Beene’s flowing dresses, comfortable jumpsuits, and playful shrugs. As the black-and-white photographs show, the clothing is constructed to flatter. “The seams really follow the curves of the body,” Ms. Tarr said. “They run with your figure. That is why they’re so flattering.”


The book’s designer, graphic artist Abbott Miller – a partner at the design firm Pentagram – helped choose the pieces that were photographed from Ms. Tarr’s collection. Photographer Jay Zuckerkorn shot several of the accessories without the model. Shawls, pins, scarves, and a belt are shown in the artfully minimalist style used on the book’s cover, which features a black net scarf, trimmed in black and yellow daisies, that floats on a brilliant turquoise background.


For his part, Mr. Miller said the book captures Beene’s ambitions for what a piece of clothing could be: “It became part of a woman’s identity.”


But Beene, who died at 77 last September, also created duality in his clothing. Along with elegance, as in his sharply tailored jackets and dresses, comes playful whimsy, seen in the smiley faces on a pair of gloves. That duality, and much more, is kept alive in this book – a fitting, loving tribute to Beene’s inimitable creative spirit.


The New York Sun

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