At last night's fete for Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet's collaboration with artist David Choe, a heavily embellished ball gown hung from the ceiling.At last night's fete for Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet's collaboration with artist David Choe, a heavily embellished ball gown hung from the ceiling. "I said I wanted the dress to be hanging up like a disco ball, because we needed to illuminate all the beading. And then I thought, Hey, let's have a disco party!" Bendet told cbamd.com.

The gown on display was covered with a Choe watercolor print depicting a woman and a monkey. A full midi skirt and shift dress bore the same print, sans beading. While Bendet and Choe seem an unlikely pair—she specializes in feminine party attire, he calls himself a "slob" and admits to wearing T-shirts people leave behind at his house—the collaboration was practically inevitable. "Everyone knows a lot of David's street art and graffiti, but he's also one of the most talented painters of our time," Bendet said. "Last year at Art Basel, he sent me this photo of a painting he did, and I literally thought he had seen the skirt I was wearing. The colors and pattern could have blended right into the print. I told him I thought he would make the most amazing prints for dresses. And he said, 'Let's do it.' "

"I've done all of the typical streetwear stuff," said Choe, noting that womenswear was a departure from his usual oeuvre. "I've worked with Upper Playground and several other brands. But I like to expand my horizons and try different things."

"He has this insane sense of color that's sort of feminine and cool at the same time," Bendet added. "And I love that his work has an element of humor, which is what I like in clothes."

Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet and David Choe pieces range from $396 to $998. From April, the skirt and shift dress will be available at Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet boutiques and global retailers; the beaded gown will be sold in select stores. For more information, visit www.cbamd.com.
POST: 2024-11-24