Virgil Abloh Brings Wearable Art by Damien Hirst and Tetsuzo Okubo to Canary Yellow
Shortly after launching a new online TV platform and Off-White Spring/Summer 2021 collection, Virgil Abloh presents a new artist collaboration on Canary Yellow, the designer’s digital archive and art shop. A collection of one-of-a-kind wearable art pieces created by Damien Hirst and Tetsuzo Okubo will be auctioned on Canary Yellow, each garment constructed from upcycled clothing items belonging to Hirst. Titled Beverly Hirst Recycler, the collaboration combines the two artists’ respective aesthetics—Hirst is known for his rise in the Young British Artists pack and for his work that deals with themes of life and death, while Okubo specializes in recycled clothing pieces, often featuring positive slogans and smiley face patches.
For Beverly Hirst Recycler—a play on Okubo’s Beverly Hills Recycler collaborative brand—the artists found a creative rhythm from thousands of miles apart. The pieces were shipped from Hirst’s England’s Landing studio to Okubo's atelier in Los Angeles, with both adding, editing, and reworking each garment. The result is a punk assortment of clothes stamped with the markings of Hirst’s creative process—paint splatters from when he wore the original garments while working—and the artist’s well-known motifs like diamond skulls and pills, along with Okubo’s signature smiley patches.
According to Abloh, seeing their work come together proves how creativity continues to thrive despite the challenges of the past year. “What Damien and Tetsu have done is fully representative of the last 12 months,” Abloh tells L’OFFICIEL. “Collaboration and creation don’t need to stop because the world was told to pause. In fact I think it’s quite the opposite. This time has forced us to re-evaluate our connections, and work harder to form relationships, while giving us the time to educate ourselves and find new likes.”
In addition to re-examining our connections to others, this time has also provided the opportunity to reconsider our consumption, whether digital or material. For the latter, there has been a rise in fashion upcycling by both individuals and fashion labels, as people seek to make the most of existing resources and reduce waste. It’s not only an artistic practice, but a growing market. “It’s the future for sure. This next generation of consumers and creators is growing up in a world that values conservation and recycling in ways that we never have before—they’re leading this change,” Abloh says. “Those of us who already have a voice are simply following their lead until they’re the ones in charge.”
In tandem with the sustainability factor, upcycling brings a handmade feel to otherwise manufactured clothes. As with Hirst and Okubo’s careful collaboration on each piece, creating something novel from an existing garment takes deliberate consideration.
While each Beverly Hirst Recycler piece is no-doubt a valuable collectible (and comes with a letter of authenticity signed by Hirst and Okubo), the clothes are meant to be worn rather than kept preciously on display. The blurring of the lines between fashion and art is something that each of these creatives has explored in their work, and a distinction that Abloh doesn’t see in the first place. “As artists, designers, ultimately creators, I personally steer clear of categorizations overall,” Abloh says. “Terms alone limits humanity’s reach. I do believe the future of all the arts relies in the freedom of expression.”
The Beverly Hirst Recycler collection will be on auction on Canary Yellow from February 7, 2021 with one item dropping daily.
