A year after the January 12, 2010 earthquake ravaged the island of Haiti, fashion designer Donna Karan discovered the ironwork of Haitian artist Philippe Dodard in the lobby of the Karibe Hotel in Port-au-Prince. She told a hotel employee that she wanted to meet the person responsible for the work. Dodard, who had heard of Karan through magazines and clothing shops, went to the hotel to meet her, but she was too busy for a lengthy discussion. So he invited Karan to his house, where she discovered his other pieces — paintings and inks.
The two found that they had a lot in common, mainly yoga and spiritual healing, and became friends. Dodard accompanied her as she visited the artisans she worked with. Soon after, Karan came to Dodard with a request to use his artwork in her spring/summer 2012 collection.
“I said, ‘But of course,’” Dodard told ARTINFO. “I was really happy to see that happen.”
Karan went to Dodard’s Port-au-Prince atelier several times to select paintings and inks that she could use in her designs. Dodard also went to New York a few times during the process.
“I didn’t interfere in the design of the collection itself because it’s a creation of Donna,” said Dodard.
Through June 20, Dodard’s thick brush strokes and tribal patterns will be shown alongside the luxury garments of Karan’s spring/summer 2012 collection in the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, in an exhibition titled “Donna Karan & Philippe Dodard.”
One section of the show displays two Donna Karan looks before 14 of Dodard’s canvasses that helped influence them: a skirt bearing patterns of masks and zigzags that show up throughout Dodard’s oeuvre and an evening gown embellished in a manner that resembles the curves and dashes in his artwork.
In one corner, a video of Karan’s runway show plays repeatedly.
MOCA, North Miami curator Bonnie Clearwater felt that the show would be an ideal celebration for Haitian Heritage month in Miami Dade County.
“I thought it would be a good way to demonstrate one such example of how international cultural philanthropy has resulted after the earthquake,” Clearwater told ARTINFO.
Immediately after the earthquake Karan felt compelled to do something to help the country and its victims. With music executive Andre Harrell, singer Mary J. Blige, entrepreneur Steve Stoute, and hotelier Andre Balazs, Karan formed Hope, Help, & Rebuild Haiti to aid in the reconstruction of the devastated Caribbean nation. The fashion designer has made numerous trips to Haiti since to contribute to the efforts.
“Every time I visit Haiti, it’s like I am seeing the world through a child’s eyes,” wrote Karan on the Huffington Post last January. “The wonder of what is possible tells the story of triumphant humanity. This is why I want everyone to experience it... not just to be inspired by the potential of Haiti, but also to remember the potential of our collective humanity.”
Karan’s project with Dodard, it seems, is very much in line with her desire to bring the richness of Haiti to a broader audience.
Click on the slide show to see images from “Donna Karan & Philippe Dodard,” on view at MOCA, North Miami through June 20.