alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet is proud to announce that the late Neo-expressionist artist and frequent Andy Warhol collaborator Jean-Michel Basquiat has been selected, through the Basquiat Estate, as the partner for the second capsule collection that will help support the Council of Fashion Designers of America's efforts to promote young talent. The 17-piece collection will land in stores and online in November 2016. On November 2, 2016, Bendet will celebrate the capsule collection with an event in New York City at the Hole, a contemporary art gallery representing emerging artists in Lower Manhattan that champions the downtown artist community. 

Jean-Michel Basquiat earned his recognition in the art world before the age of 27, even gaining the title of youngest artist to be given a solo show at the widely respected KestnerGesekkschaft gallery in Germany. His personal achievements and participation in an American art movement that ushered in a wave of young new artists make Basquiat the perfect next partner for the promotion of young artists within the fashion industry. 

For the partnership with the CFDA alice + olivia works with a new artist to create a capsule collection that will be available for purchase at all alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet stores, aliceandolivia.com, and other retail partners with 50% of the proceeds from select items donated to the CFDA. 

Stacey Bendet, CEO and Creative Director of alice + olivia, says “Jean-Michel Basquiat is one of my favorite artists. This partnership is exciting for me as it is very reflective of my brand and our continued collaboration with artists. It is also wonderful to be able to raise funds for the CFDA and support their ongoing initiative’s within our industry that develop new talent.” 

The new collection includes a variety of unique apparel pieces, accessories and gifts that feature iconic elements of Basquiat’s art, such as the golden crown and colorful, street-art inspired design, mixed with alice + olivia’s whimsical and feminine touch. “Beat Bop” 1983, “Replicas” 1983, “Ascent” 1983, “In Italian” 1983, “Panel of Experts” 1982 and “Notary” 1983 are some of the artist’s famed works that Bendet cites as inspiration for the capsule collection. 

Elements of these iconic works can be seen throughout the collection of apparel and accessories, which ranges in price from $150 - $1,295, and each item is reflective of a different piece of Basquiat’s works.  An array of textual references to Greek mythology, Roman history, and African Tribal culture from “Notary” can be found on the printed legging ($150), flare skirt ($395), and one of two printed gownskirts ($1,295). Nods to the hip hop and rap music that inspired Basquiat to create “Beat Bop” are seen in the fabric used for the slip dress ($350), one of two printed crop tops ($250) and Basquiat clutch ($495). The “Ascent” print used for the ruffel maxi dress ($1,195), second printed crop top ($250) and canvas weekender bag ($355) give a glimpse into Basquiat’s creative process – combining the sequencing of unconnected ideas with patterns of images and text from illustrated books. The “In Italian” print used for the printed shift dress ($395), a-line short skirt ($265) and second printed gown skirt ($1,295) highlights Basquiat’s interest in the use of language and multi media, tied in to themes of capitalism and monetary exchange. The pops of blue, red and yellow on the overlapping pattern button down ($350) are the perfect pairing to Basquiat’s “Replica”, one of the more muted prints used in the collection and a beautiful contrast to the hues in “Dos Cabezas” which can be seen on the large clutch ($295). The final pieces from the collection – hand painted moto jacket ($1,095), distressed patchwork jean ($595), and crown woven shirt ($395) – all utilize a combination of Basquiat prints and iconic symbols.  Bendet delivers a modern interpretation of Basquiat’s iconic artworks with the incorporation of beadwork and embroidery details which add a dimensional element to the iconic Basquiat works as they come to life in the form of dresses, tops, skirts, jackets, handbags, shoes, eyewear and more. 

For the first CFDA capsule collection, debuted in April 2015, Bendet partnered with celebrated artist Domingo Zapata, a Spanish-American who has studios in New York, Miami, and Hollywood. Zapata’s pieces created for the partnership included a hand-painted ball gown, hand-painted full-length skirt, and custom two-piece skirt with a matching leather bustier featuring piping in a print painted by Zapata, all of which were auctioned off by Paddle8 with 100% of proceeds benefitting the CFDA. 

Steven Kolb, CEO and Creative Director of the CFDA applauds the collaboration with alice + olivia; “Stacey Bendet has been a valued member of the CFDA for a long time” he says, “We could not be more appreciative for her work to help us in our cause to advance up-and-coming fashion designers. The extraordinary support we will be receiving from the brand thanks to this initiative is invaluable to our organization.” 

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