Image courtesy of Ted Sabarese

Nick Cave’s Creature Couture by Ted Sabarese

A ponytail’s swish, pom-poms bouncing on air, a splash of pencils kerplunking against a wooden desk: if print could translate into audio, then Nick Cave (no relation to the Bad Seeds) would be a master linguist.

Image courtesy of Ted Sabarese

The “sound suits” photographed here by Ted Sabarese belong to Chicago-based artist, fashion designer and chair of fashion design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Image courtesy of Ted Sabarese

Cave’s figurative sculptures, which can be found at New York’s Jack Shainman Gallery and are not, in fact, alien couture, generate sound based on movement and serve as perfect convergence of art and fashion – the art’s purpose is predicated upon its wear.

Image courtesy of Ted Sabarese

Currently, he’s in the early stages of an Alvin Ailey collaboration to celebrate the dance theater’s 50th anniversary, and next June look for a massive solo exhibition at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Image courtesy of Ted Sabarese

First and foremost, however, he sees his otherworldly creations as a platform to ingnite change and bridge communities, which happens all the time during his local outreach into the public schools.

Image courtesy of Ted Sabarese

Photography by Ted Sabarese
Sculptures by Nick Cave
Styling by Laura Tiozzo
Editorial for the City Magazine Fall Fashion Issue

more. www.nickcaveart.com | www.tedsabarese.com