Stephen Sprouse Redoux

  

Photograph © Sindi Schorr 2009

Truth be told, Stephen Sprouse fell under my radar when he rose in prominence in the early to mid 1980's. This much I recall: he was a golden child and wildly talented. He was best known for using a day-glow inspired color palette, and managed to fuse a diverse rage of fashion idioms like punk, techno, geometrics, retro, Memphis, graffiti, cyber-glam, East Village chic and agit-prop in a psychotic and glorious mélange. He helped define the 1980s. He was the darling of the “in crowd” and hung out with Halston, Warhol, Billy Idol, Duran Duran, Steven Meisel and Debra Harry...the “fast crowd.

  

Photograph © Sindi Schorr 2009

Temperament trumped talent; there were the infamous bouts of erratic behavior, showing up days late for appointments, canceling major fashion shows the day before, moving his flagship store several times, poor management of the press and business, and despite the appearance of success, filing for bankruptcy. People who knew him loved him, but he was exhausting. His candle burned at both ends. While he worked consistently, he all but disappeared until his early death at age 50 from heart failure and lung cancer in 2004.

  

Photograph © Sindi Schorr 2009

Thanks to a recent retrospective, young people rediscovering the ’80s (I feel so old!) and the bestselling "The Stephen Sprouse Book," by Roger Padilha and Mauricio Padilha (with a foreword by Tama Janowitz), which was released by Rizzoli Press, he has re-emerged as relevant, hip and very apropos. His time has come again. If you still don’t get it, you will see Spouse’s imprinture referenced in many designer collections, including, but not limited to Marc Jacobs. Spouse’s fashion vocabulary is articulate, counter-cultural, edgy and joyful. If you are not familiar with his work, his influence and his ability to set a trend for this decade, here are a few photos from Louis Vuitton, which is currently devoting all their windows on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street to pay homage.

    

Photograph © Sindi Schorr 2009

Courtesy of  www.retaildesigndiva.com where it appeared on February 16, 2009

   

Truth be told, Stephen Sprouse fell under my radar when he rose in prominence in the early to mid 1980's. This much I recall: he was a golden child and wildly talented. He was best known for using a day-glow inspired color palette, and managed to fuse a diverse rage of fashion idioms like punk, techno, geometrics, retro, Memphis, graffiti, cyber-glam, East Village chic and agit-prop in a psychotic and glorious mélange. He helped define the 1980s. He was the darling of the “in crowd” and hung out with Halston, Warhol, Billy Idol, Duran Duran, Steven Meisel and Debra Harry...the “fast crowd.

  

Photograph © Sindi Schorr 2009

Temperament trumped talent; there were the infamous bouts of erratic behavior, showing up days late for appointments, canceling major fashion shows the day before, moving his flagship store several times, poor management of the press and business, and despite the appearance of success, filing for bankruptcy. People who knew him loved him, but he was exhausting. His candle burned at both ends. While he worked consistently, he all but disappeared until his early death at age 50 from heart failure and lung cancer in 2004.

  

Photograph © Sindi Schorr 2009

Thanks to a recent retrospective, young people rediscovering the ’80s (I feel so old!) and the bestselling "The Stephen Sprouse Book," by Roger Padilha and Mauricio Padilha (with a foreword by Tama Janowitz), which was released by Rizzoli Press, he has re-emerged as relevant, hip and very apropos. His time has come again. If you still don’t get it, you will see Spouse’s imprinture referenced in many designer collections, including, but not limited to Marc Jacobs. Spouse’s fashion vocabulary is articulate, counter-cultural, edgy and joyful. If you are not familiar with his work, his influence and his ability to set a trend for this decade, here are a few photos from Louis Vuitton, which is currently devoting all their windows on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street to pay homage.

    

Photograph © Sindi Schorr 2009

Courtesy of  www.retaildesigndiva.com where it appeared on February 16, 2009