artsy fartsy.

The fine line between fashion and art has been getting blurrier and blurrier these days, from the Chloe/Ryan McGinley party at the Guggenheim to Marc Jacobs' collaboration with Richard Prince. But now, designers are giving us laypeople a chance to get in on the art action.


Anyone who read December's Vogue has heard about the limited-edition Fendi Baguette (above) that comes with a set of 48 Pantone markers and a logo'ed wooden box - sort of an uber-high-end version of do-it-yourself fashion. This is not a canvas tote bag and a couple sharpies, loves. This bag costs $5,500.



Now, Puma has teamed up with the Serpentine Gallery in London to create the Reality bag (above)- which, to me, just looks like a glorified duffel bag that they filled up with artsy things like a sketchbook. At $1,400, this one seems like a steal next to the Baguette -- but come on, if even Irina can't sell it in a photo by Ryan McGinley (it's a small world after all, isn't it?) -- I'm thinking this is not going to be the next It bag. I know I'd rather have a Richard Prince Louis Vuitton.

If you, like me, are not a bag girl, not to worry: there's plenty of ready-to-wear that is on board with this arts and crafts aesthetic.


From the polished painterly pattern at Chloe (top, spring 2008) to accidental-looking splatters on Dolce and Gabbana's gray tee (middle, spring 2008), to Yves Saint Laurent's white shift with colorful brushstrokes (bottom, resort 2008), it's obvious that art is the fashion of the moment.