Fashion Abstraction

Viviane Sassen

Viviane Sassen’s (b. 1972) vibrant colours combine with abstract shapes and contorted lighting to create a surreal landscape where down is up, bodies turn green and nothing is quite what it seems. Born in Amsterdam, Sassen spent seven years studying fine art, photography and fashion design. This wide-reaching skill-set bridges the gap between classic artistic constructs and contemporary fashion. Innovative approaches to fabric and styling have made Sassen a favourite with a variety of publications, such as Pop, AnOther Magazine, Dazed & Confused, i-D and Numéro, as well as designers such as Stella McCartney, Carven and M Missoni. Sassen has recently been shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2015 for Umbra, which placed her striking compositions alongside poetry from Maria Barnas. The following images are extracted from Prestel’s In and Out of Fashion (2012). Viviane Sassen: Pikin Slee runs at ICA, London, 3 February – 12 April, and will also be published in a new monograph from Prestel. www.vivianesassen.com.