My Modern Met Article

ART

Fashion-Forward Artist Expresses Vibrant Personality in Elaborate Wearable Sculptures

By Sara Barnes on June 28, 2017

For many people, getting dressed can be an uneventful chore. But for London-based artist Daniel Lismore, selecting garments and layering accessories allows him to express his vibrant, multidimensional personality. We’re not talking jeans and different t-shirts, either. Lismore dresses in extravagant ensembles that highlight his unique sartorial point of view and sculptural approach to clothing. Clad in intricate headdresses, art history inspired frocks, and a bevy of baubles, Lismore’s distinct looks are impeccably styled. In addition, he’s done up with a doll-like application of makeup and then documents it all through self-portrait photography.

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

To create these unforgettable outfits and images, Lismore combines “haute couture with charity-shop finds.” Vintage fabrics, found objects, ribbons, feathers, shells, and chain mail are just some of the raw materials that are draped and arranged into a cohesive outfit. Often, this is achieved through a limited color palette,which allows the textures of each look to shine.

The taste maker—whose famous friends include Debbie Harry, Boy George, and Vivienne Westwood—is the subject of a recent book called Daniel Lismore: Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken. It’s his first major publication that features the essence of his creative soul—30 ensembles that reference a variety of historical, social, and cultural themes from across the globe. It’s now available through Amazon.

Artist Daniel Lismore dresses in elaborate sculptural ensembles that highlight his vibrant, multidimensional personality.

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

Lismore's amazing fashions are chronicled in his book, Daniel Lismore: Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken.

Photo: © Colin Douglas Gray/Rizzoli

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by SCAD