THE JOURNAL
3 MINUTE READ
Get Weird With These Surrealist-Inspired Essentials
Words by Jack Stanley
20 September 2022
When surrealism first spread across Europe a century ago, artists wanted to tap into their unconscious minds, translating their dreams into their work. Nowadays, the art movement has carried on all the way into fashion. The motifs once favoured by the likes of Messrs Salvador Dalí and René Magritte – including juxtaposed images, non sequiturs and optical illusions – are also used by designers and creative directors. With that in mind, here are seven surreal starting points to help you get weird.
01.
Acne Studios Apolla Silver-Tone Earring
Surrealist artists often used eyes in their work, seeing the motif as a representation of the brink between the inner self and the external world. What better way to allude to this surreal touchpoint than by hanging one from your ear? The Acne Studios Apolla earring is as close as you can get to a real eyeball, with a white domed charm pendant finished with an iridescent iris looking out.
02.
LOEWE Printed Wool-Blend Sweater
Mr Jonathan Anderson has been exploring the surreal for a while at LOEWE, juxtaposing everyday items – including broken eggs and wet benches – with the wider collections. One of the latest reference points was the humble bathroom plughole or drain, which featured heavily for AW22. While some pieces featured actual metal holes, allowing you to see the wearer beneath, this sweater is instead covered with a graphic pattern of them. The sweater’s off-white colour and relaxed fit make it repeatedly wearable, but it’s the bathroom print that will turn heads.
03.
Lemaire Small Croissant Leather Messenger Bag
If you’re based in Le Marais in Paris, there is nothing more everyday than a croissant. French label Lemaire has transformed this famous pastry from breakfast stable to must-have accessory. The small croissant messenger bag is made using soft leather and can be worn over the shoulder or across the body, all while sharing its shape and design with its flaky, buttery namesake.
04.
Retrosuperfuture Zenya Square-Frame Acetate Sunglasses
It might be easy to play it safe with your sunglasses, but Retrosuperfuture has taken a different approach. The Zenya frame is adorned with a checkerboard pattern – another frequent surrealist motif – while the purple and black colour palette helps to give it a futuristic edge. The futurism and surrealism theme is continued with the frame’s proportions and its chunky, exaggerated square shape.
05.
The Elder Statesman Speed Intarsia Cashmere Sweater
Los Angeles label The Elder Statesman is known for pushing the boat with its knitwear – think tie-dye sweaters and colourful striped cardigans – but its Speed sweater manages to incorporate an optical illusion into its design. The light-blue cashmere sweater features a number of red and off-white checkerboard stripes in different widths. The overall effect of the optical illusion helps explain where it gets its Speed name from.
06.
Maison Margiela Tabi Split-Toe Metallic Cracked-Leather Boots
Maison Margiela’s Tabi boot has become a global icon, but this version pushes it in a new direction. The silhouette remains the same – complete with its split toe and cylindrical heel – but its leather upper has been cracked and finished with metallic silver. The resulting finish creates the effect of a cracked mirror, reflecting light in different directions as the wearer walks.
07.
Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Full-Grain Leather Messenger Bag
Somehow, Bottega Veneta has managed to both expand and shrink its intrecciato weave on this messenger bag. Coming in the house’s now-signature Parakeet green, the actual panels of the intrecciato are on the bigger side, while the bag itself is tiny. Measuring just 120cm across, it’s not even big enough for your iPhone. This big-meets-little design turns the whole bag into a real optical illusion.
