David Lynch, Juergen Teller and Maripol come together to celebrate the humble cardigan

It’s not every day a group of world-renowned creatives explore the virtues of the humble cardi – but this isn’t just any old cardigan, it’s the Agnès B. Snap Cardigan. The first time it happened was in 1986, when the savvy Agnès set her garment on a course for stardom by inviting 140 photographers to capture the snap cardigan in their own way. The results were shown in her Paris store, and such was the success of the show it popped up again in 1996 at the Centre Pompidou, no less. For 2020, the concept for the show has broadened to encompass broader creative disciplines, bringing a whole new perspective on the classic piece of apparel.

The list of 70 contributors features David Lynch, Maripol, Joel Meyerowitz, Ryan McGinness, Juergen Teller, Roger Ballen, Omar Victor Diop, Paul Rousteau, Kenta Cobayashi, Carly Steinbrunn, Peter Sutherland, Hiraku Suzuki, Ed Templeton, and Massimo Vitali, spanning art and photography in many forms, from 14 nationalities and including both established and emerging names. Agnès gave the creatives carte blanche for their interpretation, hoping to echo the freedom and eclecticism of the original show.

The fashion designer commented at the time of the original show: "A while ago, I designed a cardigan for myself. I wanted one that opened in front with lots of snaps that evoke a Renaissance garment, a child’s garment for grown-ups, or the other way round, and the snap cardigan was born. Since then, it has been worn by many people. I had the idea for the exhibition when I saw people making the garment their own, adapting it to their personal style. It occurred to me that photographers are never given the same subject, and that they would each have their own vision of the garment. Their response was enthusiastic, and the result is beautiful. I am extremely grateful."

...Photographers ...Artists and the Snap Cardigan 2020 was shown in Paris at the end of 2019 and will open at New York's 195 Chrystie Street from 8 February – 1 March 2020, before travelling to Tokyo and Hong Kong.