In a world of big brands, how many designers are still artists? Johnson Hartig of Libertine still paints, crafts, embellishes with his hands. His fashion show at Pier 57 for New York Fashion Week reminded me of performance art of Downtown New York's past.
Vintage clothing pieces were embroidered, multi-colored paint spots was a running theme. Gigantic papier mache cuffs embedded with large crystals was a popular accessory. Mass production is definitely not a part of this business plan. When my colleague Mdivani Monroe interviewed Hartig, he described everything from current politics, his friends and abstract nature as his inspiration. I got the impression that he was probably one of those hyper children that used to have to be tethered to the playground in younger years...
Early champions of his work included Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld. Perhaps they saw in him an idealistic idea of fashion still being an art for art's sake while they of all people know it is not true in their own circles.
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