Stephen Sprouse: Rock on Mars

NEW YORK — The ‘80s are back, and in a way we never thought possible.

From acid-wash denim and strong shoulders at Pierre Balmain — to studs, punk, and neon creeping back at us at Topshop and H&M, there’s no escaping it.

Strangely, it has even started to look appealing again. And what better way to celebrate the return of the ‘80s than a retrospective on the work of fashion designer, artist and ‘80s New York iconoclast Stephen Sprouse?

Sprouse is credited as the first New York designer to mix uptown glamour with a downtown edge. A Halston protégé at 18, Sprouse ran around with the likes of Andy Warhol while designing costumes for the New York City Ballet and clothes for musicians Debbie Harry, Axl Rose, Mick Jagger, Billy Idol and Courtney Love.

At the height of his fashion design career, his collections were sold at Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman. He also collaborated with artist Keith Haring and Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton.

Ironically, all that talent did not pave the way to commercial success. He was more a temperamental artist than a businessman who devoted much of his time to pursuing creative interests whether in design, art, photography or music. Nevertheless, it was a life well-lived and loved until he succumbed to heart failure at the age of 50 in March 2004.

When Sprouse’s friends Paige Powell and Kim Hastreiter brought to life Sprouse’s idea of exhibiting his work at Deitch Projects in SoHo — a personal dream that did not occur due to his premature passing — they found themselves rallied on by Sprouse’s family, friends and advocates.

What started out as plans for an art exhibit became a full-on retrospective encompassing the complete range of Sprouse’s creative endeavors, and I was lucky enough to experience it first-hand.

“Rock on Mars,” the exhibition of Stephen Sprouse’s creative vision at Deitch Projects’ 18 Wooster Street Gallery, features his sketches, rarely seen paintings of Sid Vicious with his pants down and Iggy Pop’s crucifixion. A selection of his video works that accompanied his runway shows, fashion illustrations, and graffiti-splattered furniture are also on display.

Fittingly, Marc Jacobs celebrates the work of Stephen Sprouse with the 2009 Tribute Collection for Louis Vuitton. The collection was inspired by their collaboration in 2001, which rocked the runway and resulted in long wait lists for the now-famous graffiti bags. This successful collaboration eventually paved the way for other team-ups between Louis Vuitton and other contemporary artists.

Louis Vuitton’s tribute includes the Rose Collection, which was released on Jan. 9 in Louis Vuitton stores worldwide, while the Graffiti Collection was released exclusively at the Greene Street store in SoHo until Feb. 2, when it will be released worldwide.

Not surprisingly, and despite the recession and freezing cold, many Louis Vuitton and Stephen Sprouse fanatics lined up for more than an hour outside the graffiti-covered storefront at Greene Street to get first dibs on the Graffiti Collection.

From male hipsters who pounced on the $400 graffiti shirts to mothers and daughters who bought everything from bags to wallets and scarves in one go, it was chaos all around, punctuated by flashes of neon. Stephen Sprouse would have been proud.

Coinciding with the retrospective is the Feb. 1 release of The Stephen Sprouse Book, by Roger and Mauricio Padilha. Published by Rizzoli New York, it is a fitting chronicle and tribute to the genius that is Stephen Sprouse.

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Rock on Mars at Deitch Projects is ongoing until Feb. 28.

The Stephen Sprouse Book is available for purchase at the Louis Vuitton Greene Street for $65.