When Life Imitates Art the Results Are Sincerely Flattering

When Life Imitates Art the Results Are Sincerely Flattering
When Yves Saint Laurent declared himself "a failed painter" in 1992, he spoke for frustrated fashion designers everywhere.

This summer it is almost impossible to walk along a British high street without stopping to check that you haven't ambled into the National Gallery by mistake.

Mark Rothko seems to have resurrected himself at Gap; Vivienne Westwood has made off with Henri Matisse's life works and transposed them directly on to her dresses and Donna Karan has become the designer-cum-art student, taking Piet Mondrian's stiff and rigid lines, chopping them up and throwing them on to some white leather coats.

If this isn't fashion dressed up as art, then what is?