SONIA DELAUNAY

Sonia Delaunay, an Ukraine artist born in 1885 with the name of Sarah Stern, moves to Paris at the beginning of 1900 to study painting.

In order to continue with her studies against the will of her family who considered art as anything but a creditable career, she married an art collector, friend of her.

But the true love of her life was a leading avant-garde French painter, Robert Delaunay, whom she met shortly after her marriage and whom she married in 1909 following divorce from her first husband.

She considered Robert as a true poet and master in exploring the possibilities of colour; he had conceived a new form of abstract art with cubist influences, based on the movement of light and chromatic rhythm.

They shared theories of colour and movement; she encouraged him and also followed in his research, changing her own painting techniques and starting to explore geometric and non-representational abstract forms.

She created a patchwork cover for her baby boy and this led her to experiment with the creation of colourful objects and fabrics around the family home as well as her ‘simultaneous’ dresses, a practical application of art to everyday life. She gained great success and was able to make a living for her whole family out of her artistic activities, that ranged from dresses, theatrical costumes, graphics and design. She went so far as to design the interior of a Citroen.

Her style was so vivid, amazing and innovative that her friend, poet Blaise Cendrars, upon seeing her at a party wearing one of her own creations, was inspired to write the poem, “On her dress she wears a body”.

In 1925 she opens her  “Boutique Simultané” in Paris together with her friend, couturier Jacques Heim. Her clients included a number of celebrities and film stars such as the divine Greta Garbo.

As she was approaching old age, she returned to her first love: painting which perhaps had been overlooked and had not received due recognition. She died in 1979.

From the 90s onward, the name of Sonia Delaunay, considered a true forerunner, has been resounding powerfully throughout the fashion industry, and designers are starting to take inspiration from her innovative style.