Visionaire 54 Sport Lacoste (Set 1), 2008

Private Collection, Toronto

Visionaire World launched in 1991 and became celebrated as a less traditional magazine showcasing design, art and fashion. “Visionaire 54 SPORT celebrates the the 75th anniversary of Lacoste, using the polo shirt as an artist’s canvas to create the first-ever wearable publication. Realized in full-color, full-coverage photographic printing, the polo shirts in 54 SPORT featured eye-popping artworks by Nick Knight, David Byrne, and Thomas Ruff, just to name a few. For a polo shirt that reinterpreted vintage posters of Pedro Almodóvar movies, art director Juan Gatti took inspiration from the street. ‘I tore actual posters and then we took a picture for the polo shirt,’ he said. For artist Richard Phillips, SPORT captured his process from start to finish. ‘The shirt became a physical representation of the complete creative process.’” From the Visionaire World website: https://visionaireworld.com/collections/all/products/visionaire-54-sport-lacoste This collaboration was the first issue of the conceptual magazine that was entirely wearable. Nick Knight - fashion photographer created a digitally-enhanced exploding rose using high-speed camera technology. Karl Lagerfeld - Fashion designer created a two-part portrait of his friend, the tennis star and Lacoste founder Rene Lacoste. Michael Stipe - musician created a large two-colour photographic image depicting a crowd at a stadium concert from the perspective of the performer. https://www.yatzer.com/visionaire-54-sport