Sorelle Fontana: From Painting to Dress
Sorelle Fontana was the first Maison in the fifties to bring Italian High Fashion in the international markets, promoting the 'made in Italy" all over the world. Based in Rome, Sorelle Fontana's clients included Hollywood's most famous actresses and royalty. Two painting prizes in 1958 and 1959 were sponsored by Sorelle Fontana and lead to a beautiful collaboration between artists and fashion:"paintings became dresses".
Painting Prize Sorelle Fontana Fontana dedicated to "Flowers (1953)Fondazione Micol Fontana
1958: The theme of the competition was Rome Fountains
In the picture:
Zoe Fontana sketching after a Luigi Montanarini paint.
Painting Prize (1958)Fondazione Micol Fontana
Jury of the 1958 Painting Prize
Painting Prize (1958)Fondazione Micol Fontana
In 1958 the theme of the prize was "Rome Fountains"
Dress
1953
The theme of this dress was inspired to poppies just as in a paint by Eliano Fantuzzi
Particular of the signature by Eliano Fantuzzi (1953)Fondazione Micol Fontana
Detail of the dress
In the dress there is the signature of Eliano Fantuzzi
Painting Prize Sorelle Fontana - Model with the dress inspired framework of Maestro Nuvolo (1958)Fondazione Micol Fontana
Nuvolo (Giorgio Ascani) winner of the Prize, inspired the dress shown in the picture
Dress made with printed silk fabric with abstract patterns of silk factories Bedetti and Pedraglio (1959)Fondazione Micol Fontana
"Nuvolo" dress
Here is the dress inspired by "Nuvolo" as is today in the Fondazione Micol Fontana
Detail of the signature by Nuvolo (1958)Fondazione Micol Fontana
And again, on the dress, the signature of the artist.
Painting Prize Sorelle Fontana - Dress inspired by Mimmo Rotella's painting (1958)Fondazione Micol Fontana
Now is Mimmo Rotella the artist that inspired the dress shown
Painting Prize - Mimmo Rotella wheel (1958) by Mimmo RotellaFondazione Micol Fontana
MImmo Rotella: Oil and Collage
Painting Prize (1958)Fondazione Micol Fontana
The writer Alberto Moravia e the art critic Carlo Giulio Argan, President of the Jury, with the model wearing the dress inspired to the paint by Piero Dorazio
Painting Prize (1958/1959)Fondazione Micol Fontana
Signatures of the artists who participated to the first edition of the prize
Selezioni, testi e montaggio a cura di:
Massimo Bevilacqua
Luisida Caligaris Papa
Maria Cristina Giusti
Mario Lami
Roberta Lami
Luisella Rastelli
Monica Rech
Amelie Soffietti