Basel Has Miami Humming

© Patrick Isom

Walking through the Design District Thursday night, pushing my way through the enormous throngs of people who turned out for the night’s events, I had to ask myself – am I in Miami right now? It certainly didn’t feel like it. There was a buzz of energy like I had never seen before – people everywhere were strutting, bustling in and out of boutiques and galleries, dancing. Basel-time completely transforms the city, and Miami is greeted (or bombarded, depending on how you look at it) with a wave of fresh talent, new artists, designers, and beautiful people. And they were all there last night.

Art Basel has really morphed into something bigger than art – feeding off the huge energy of the event, Basel has become a time and place for all sorts of creative endeavors to flourish.

© Jordan Wolf / MFbEspecially fashion. The boutiques seemed transformed into galleries themselves last night as they opened their doors to the thousands, beckoning them in to see their own brand of art. Christian Loubiton showed shoes that were works of art in their own right, beautiful and shiny, intricately studded and embellished.

Skyscraper stilettos and diamond-encrusted sneakers sat on their own pedestals, lighted just so, like sculptures in a museum. Maison Martin Margiela was another boutique that was meticulously curated, with clothes, bags, shoes and jewelry from the new collection thoughtfully arranged against gallery-white walls. Marni plastered their usually crystal-clear windows graffiti-style with translucent screen-prints of patterns and icons from the new line. Is this where fashion meets art? Or is it the other way around?

Just when I thought I had hit every boutique, something incredible happened. Right before my eyes was a huge white semi-truck, sliding open the back door to reveal racks of amazing vintage, designer clothes. Inside, the selection was simply glorious: Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Versace, Moschino, Gautier, Comme de © Jordan Wolf / MFbGarcons, and so many more. The clothes were in mint-condition, artfully arranged on racks that ran the whole length of the truck. It was the Shop Ride, a pop-up boutique that’s going to be parked in different locations all throughout Basel – follow them on Twitter to find out their next stop.

My night ended with a front-row spot at the Peaches laser-light show, where the lady in question appeared on stage decked out like a new-wave David Bowie in a pointy-shouldered holographic jumpsuit, glitter, and mirrored shades. Standing against a projector emitting Technicolor beams of light, her personal style seemed a work of art as well.

There’s no doubt that the line between fashion and art is blurring, as is the line between art and life. Is fashion art for your life? After last night, I’m definitely convinced.

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