Stephen Sprouse

Stephen Sprouse was a visionary American fashion designer and artist. Sprouse is famous for his iconic graffiti patterns and is associated with the downtown New York City music and arts scene of the 1970s and 1980s. His irreverent, luxurious and radical collections serve as the link between a Warholian ethos and aesthetic and contemporary designers. Sprouse cultivated a distinct retro-futuristic style, equally influenced by high and low culture, that continues to excite and engage the fashion and art world in equal measure.

Sprouse began his fashion career at 14, interning with Bill Blass in New York City, and worked in Halston's studio from 1971–1975, until he decided to move downtown and focus on developing his own work. He debuted his first collection in 1984, at The Ritz nightclub to 2,500 of New York City's most influential downtown tastemakers, artists and musicians (including Andy Warhol). The collection was a holy trinity of art, fashion and punk and blurred the distinction between fashion past and present and high and low culture.

Submitted by Jarrett McCusker