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In Paris, where fashion show confirmations are still delivered by post, New York City-based artist, Gio Black Peter, partnered with Walter van Beirendonck to remind us that art (including fashion) should be revolutionary. Peter’s design for Beirendonck’s invite (pictured above) doesn’t follow the polished aesthetic usually represented by featured designers. Peter created a statement for Beirendonck, and communicated to spectators and participants of Paris Fashion Week that socially-important art is often chaotic.

“Van Beirendonck titled his show after the Hatter’s unsolvable conundrum. The designer has been watching, and commenting through his clothing, as the world has wound itself into a tangled mess over the past few seasons (Vogue).”

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In a world of such uncertainty, artists like Peter, are really needed. We, as a globalized society, can’t afford to be agreeable and passive. “Gio allows his life to seep into his work, creating visceral visuals, full of love, lust, longing, reflection and violence (Vice).” Gio adapts his art to audiences he is trying to reach, which is invaluable. The best way to be revolutionary is to understand the language of who you’re influencing. While Peter’s work is bold, it’s not unrelatable or inaccessible.

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From Peter’s bio:

Like Jean Genet, there is a bit of an outlaw in Peter, a bit of a fighter—he doesn’t back away from the demands of his artistic expression. Equally willing to strip down on camera for a blood soaked orgy as he is to work through sleepless nights when in the grip of inspiration, Peter breathes a life unfettered by shame, unencumbered by fleeting notions of morality. His work is a testament to the belief that it is possible to celebrate life without being bound to the form most common. He reveals the truth that unexpected beauty and unanticipated vitality can be found by challenging the norm, by pushing past our collective comfort.