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Molek FMProfile: Stephen Sprouse
Stephen Sprouse was a pained man who went through the trials and tribulations one might need to endure in search of inspiration – don’t we all love a bit of tragedy in our art. The American designer and artist broke into the fashion scene in the mid 70’s when he trademarked the ‘uptown sophistication in clothing with a downtown punk and pop sensibility’ look. He made clothes out of the best materials money can buy and had Day-Glo graffiti printed on them. To commemorate his passing on March the 4th 2004 as well and his art being part of the latest Louis Vuitton SS09 collection, let JUICE tell you more about this unsung artist.
Although he was highly admired in the industry for his ingenuity and creativity, Sprouse had to file for bankruptcy in 1985 due to a series of misfortunes. From the late 80’s to the late 90’s, he would struggle to find his way back into the manufacturing business but to no avail. It wasn’t until his collaboration with Marc Jacob for Louis Vuitton in 2001 would he garner the same interest he once did. The two designers utilised Sprouse’s graffiti art and printed them on bags. And in 2206, the same collaboration brought the Graffiti Leopard prints on handbags, shoes and scarves, and just like the Graffiti Logo bags, were sold out instantly.
The designer with a long list of famous clientele like Debbie Harry, Billy Idol and Duran Duran, after a long career, died in 4th of March 2004 of lung cancer. To commemorate his passing, Marc Jacob once again used his friend’s neon art in the latest LV collection, including the rose which was Sprouse’s signature symbol on his thank you notes.
Wait for our feature on the collaboration between Sprouse and LV in our Fashion page soon. In the meantime find out more about Sprouse at www.welovesprouse.com or checkout his collection at all Louis Vuitton Boutique or more at www.louisvuitton.com.