Prada Marfa

I'll admit, Gossip Girl is a guilty pleasure of mine. On the show, Lily Van Der Woodsen's penthouse is decorated with some fashion-conscious modern artwork. Of course, the home is really an artificial set in a film studio.

 One piece that got me thinking was the PRADA MARFA billboard in her living room. 

It doesn't even take being a Texas native with a lust for Italian design to know that Marfa is no Milano. Turns out there is a pretty interesting story here!

Marfa, Texas 

The billboard in the Van Der Woodsen home references a "sculpture" of a Prada boutique in Marfa, Texas. It was envisioned and executed by Elmgreen and Dragset, a pair of conceptual artists who focus on architecture. The sculpture's door had no hinges or handles, meant to never be opened, and never be repaired -- something of an artificial time capsule that was never really there to begin with.  Marfa does have a rich and interesting display of art and culture. It is home to several other historical "fake" buildings, art foundations, and the films Giant and No Country for Old Men. 

Miuccia Prada Prada herself (a personal hero of mine) loved the idea of placing the mirage of a Prada store in the middle of the East Texas desert so much that she gave the artists permission to use the coveted Prada logo. She even donated several hand-selected shoes and handbags from the FW 2005 collection to be used in the sculpture!

 

 

Anyone who has ever walked into a museum with me knows that I typically have zero patience for modern art. But this concept grew on me. I certaintly have a fondness for art that influences fashion and vice versa. More than just a clever and interesting juxtaposition, the sculpture represents cultural misperceptions of luxury on a performative level. Quite charming indeed. 

fake Ad in a fake home for a fake store that contains real Prada = real art?

Prints of Lily Van Der Woodsen's billboard advertising of the "store" are available for purchase here. 

xoxo

-Jes

sources: apartmenttherapy, wikipedia, nytimes, texas escapes