The Art of Fashion

CEBU, Philippines - Regardless of the form, art-particularly the visual arts-have long been considered food for the soul. Drawn from inspiration and sourced as an inspiration on its own, art-whether it is in the form of painting, sculpture, or a mixture of everything-is something that can easily be considered a glimpse of God.

It is no wonder that fashion has pillaged the visual arts for a treasure trove of inspiration to create fresh pieces for resort wear. This time around, the biggest names in fashion are over and done with household names and the indefatigable masters. To create a fresh twist on some classic cuts and key pieces, fashion's attention has turned to contemporary artists-many names may not be familiar to most of us but rest assured, their works are at par with the masters.

Here are the top five collections drawn from the masterful minds of today's great artists.

1. Anna Sui meets Art Noveau Movement

Does the name Alfons Mucha ring a bell? Probably not. But he did make his presence felt at Anna Sui's mood board. For Anna Sui's 2013 resort wear, bohemian prints and themes have conveniently merged with the Art Noveau Movement, giving us the uncanny impression that maybe, just maybe, some of Alfons Mucha's wavy-haired maidens travelled all the way from canvass to cloth, leaving a trail of curved lines and symmetrical shapes that gave this keen collection an eclectic vibe.

2. Jason Wu meets Mike Libby

If you have a fetish for uncanny cybernetic bugs, then I would be led to believe that you've heard of Mike Libby or at least that you've come across his name. Mike Libby created the Insect Lab which recreated real insect specimen and stuffs them with antique watch parts and other technological curios. Unique and just plain fascinating, Jason Wu has taken these entomological artpieces as the main inspiration for his resort collections. Off hand, the patterns may not be that apparent. Look closer at the microscopic insect motifs and you will see what I mean.

3. Giles meets Classic Sculpture

Giles Deacons fancy for the sculptures he found at one of England's grandest private mansions at North Yorkshire's Castle Howards, his resort wear is nothing short of mind bending. His rendition is simple-photographic prints of the statues splashed across the fabric, creating an effect that plays on the mind and the eye altogether. The designer was smitten by the various interpretations of Brideshead Revisited, which was scattered along the mansion grounds.

4. Helmut Lang meets Kate MccGwire

Kate MccGwire is a genius in the art of presenting the familiar in a starkly unsettling unfamiliar way. A classic example is her awe-inspiring work on feathers which became the primary inspiration for Helmut Lang's resort collection which took MccGwire's fetish for texture and natural tones from her installations and into his fabrics. The abstract print is about as incredible as her installation arts as the patterns are keens replicated in each of Lang's key pieces.

5. Prabal Gurung meets Aaron Moran

This is probably a no brainer when it comes to connecting both. Aaron Moran is famous for using found wood and transforming these into art pieces that neither bend the mind nor boggle the brain. It's simple roughly cut pieces of wood shaded in the most unexpected places. Prabal Gurung takes these art pieces and puts them on his classic cuts, offering old, worn out fabric a new lease on life with a fresh coat of vibrant color here and there.  (FREEMAN)