The Examiner- Los Angeles, Kimberly Brooks Paints Masterful Artworks for The Stylist Project

March 3, 11:50 AM LA Women’s Style Examiner Laurie Brucker

As we all know, fashion is an art form. Designers essentially create living breathing works of art that grace our the runways. Haute Couture, of course being the finest and highest of this art form. Well what about stylists? Are the wildly creative fashion visions that stylist’s create, considered art too? I would say, yes! It takes a deeper sense of creativity to put looks together like stylists do. For film and music, for editorials, and especially for our rising starlets, those creations do not come easy. Well artist Kimberly Brooks, absolutely sees the work of stylists as art and is now immortalizing them and their art, as… ART! Welcome to the β€œThe Stylist Project” almost two years in the making Kimberly Brooks painted portraits of Los Angeles’ top stylists, editors and fashion tastemakers. Debuting this past weekend at the Taylor De Cordoba Gallery on La Cienega. I went in for a first look and glimpse into the artists that are now art.

Each portrait is brilliant and fascinating. The colors are vivid, juxtaposing, strategic and give you glimpse into the essence of each subject. The details are intricate. There is life in each portrait. Movement. And with the stylists, styling themselves, with each portrait Kimberly Brooks brought to light, not only her internal creative process, but the creative process of each subject. All very different and all very defining. All very very fabulous.

Plus there is something so telling about Kimberly’s choices of portrait subjects. Truly, this is a presentation of the influences of today. From the famous and infamous Rachel Zoe, to Madonna’s very incognito costumer Arianne phillips (who happen to also do the costumes for my favorite movie…Hedwig and the Angry Inch), to designer Jeremy Scott, to Janie Bryant, costumer for the hit TV show Madmen, to fashion journalist Rose Apodaca, to vintage connoisseur and Decades owner Cameron Silver and finally to celebrity stylists Jessica Paster, Elizabeth Stewart, Jeanne Yang, and Katherine Ross. These are the people calling the fashion shots. They are top influencers who live most of their lives behind the scenes (…sans Rachel Zoe), and are now being brought to the forefront. Β I can only imagine that Β being immortalized in a Kimberly Brooks portrait must be the best reward for all the uncredited work these talented fashion tastemakers have created and I am sure, subconciously influenced us all.

You can see Kimberly Brooks, β€œThe Stylist Project” now through April 3rd at the Taylor De Cordoba Gallery.