For her 8th Honey Fucking Dijon collection, International DJ Honey Dijon dives into the world and wardrobe of Robert Mapplethorpe, bringing us along for the ride back to the vibrant fashion and art scenes of New York in the late 70’s.

The collection unfolds through two chapters: the main HFD proposal focusing on Mapplethorpe’s art and a third collaboration with Swedish fashion house Acne Studios unveiling the artist’s personal sense of style.

Both resonate throughout the season and communicate with each other in a beautiful leather & denim conversation presenting the most cohesive HFD collection yet.

Focusing on exhibiting the beauty of Mapplethorpe’s art come flower prints adorning sheer shirts and full denim silhouettes which transport fine art to ready-to-wear. Further, Honey’s investigation of the controversial Black Male Nude photographs revisits the infamous artworks under the lens of celebration versus that of objectification.

“A lot of time black bodies are objectified sexually, so I really wanted to own that narrative as a person of color and show Mapplethorpe’s work in a respectful way.” The designer explains. “Propose it in a new light, where it is not about fetishization but about classic beautiful form.”

Act two of the collection, furthering a vibrant partnership with Acne Studios, displays a focus on Mapplethorpe’s wardrobe and his artistic expression through clothing. Utility wear, denim and leather are all inherent to HFD’s signatures as well as staples of the photographer’s style. The collaboration unveils perfectly tailored cream and chocolate leather ensembles as well as comfortable yet stylish 70’s inspired denims, with fun mesh tops and black leather boots imbued with elevated beaded zipper details finalizing the full look.

“Whenever I get into an artist’s work, I’m also interested in the artist himself. How he lived, what he collected, what was his creative process, and I find a lot of artists actually dress very uniquely, and it’s very related to their work.”

Showcasing art is essential to HFD. The brand explores the designer’s emotional relationship to artists and their work to share them with new generations that might not be familiar with them, keeping their work alive through clothing. Garments transform into a tool to communicate art.

The Fall-Winter 23 collection will launch summer 2023 at all Dover Street Market locations and HFD worldwide retailers.