Words Victoria-Anne Bulley Pictured Untitled by Jeremy Deller and Giles Deacon. V&A Images
What divides couture and fine art? Not a lot in the Victoria and Albert Museum's new exhibition Britain Creates 2012: Fashion + Art Collusion, which forms part of this summer's London 2012 Festival.
The nine collaborations – or "blind-dates" in the words of curator Susanna Greeves – unite world-renowned fashion designers such as Matthew Williamson and Paul Smith with equally high-profile artists such as Charming Baker, Mat Collishaw and Jeremy Deller.
Deller has teamed up with Giles Deacon to create Untitled, an arresting cape and bodysuit in a colourful print inspired by a William Morris stained-glass window. Although some quests found it more African influenced, with its asymmetric design in glowing yellows and greens, teamed with a leather-bound wooden staff and majestic black feather and leaf headdress.
Other works include the Peter Pilotto/Frances Upritchard collaboration Arch, a clothed sculpture of a woman adopting a yoga-like position, with a kaleidoscopic, tropical colour palette that brings to mind the Pilotto's recent collections.
Britain Creates 2012: Fashion + Art Collusion is on display in the V&A’s Studio Gallery from 6-26 July. Admission is free.