Forre Fine Art will host “Fashion is Art,” a women’s speaker panel series, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. July 28 with the aim of exploring how photography, oil on canvas and hand-loomed textiles elevate style into art.

Five local photographers, stylists and painters will share personal histories and processes. Doors open at 5  p.m. with presentations starting at 5:30 p.m. sharp. Admission is free.

“You’ll hear about nearly 100 years of how women have redefined the intersection of fashion and art from the 1920s to present,” creator of the Women’s Speaker Series at Forre Fine Art Gabrielle Greeves said. “These five trailblazing women will share untold stories that will ignite the audience’s imagination.” 

Each speaker will talk for about eight minutes, followed by a full question-and-answer session. Complimentary drinks and light bites created by local chef Susie Jimenez will be served.

“We will delve into the rich tapestry of untold stories from the Art Deco period through the transformative decades of the 1960s and 1970s to present-day fashion,” Greeves said. “These local women from our valley continue to shape their canvases and show us the Western way of life through their lenses.”

She added, “A heartfelt thank you to Anna Forre of Forre Fine Art for graciously hosting this event and amplifying the voices of our local artists.” 

Aspen resident Marisa de Lempicka will speak about her great-grandmother, the legendary artist Tamara de Lempicka, whose impact in the 1920s and the 1930s continues to inspire fashion today. 

“She’s often called the Queen of Art Deco,” de Lempicka said of her grandmother. “Even today, her paintings feel strikingly modern and contemporary.”

Tamara de Lempicka’s books and scarves will be available for purchase. Her paintings embodied the “new woman” — independent, strong and forging her own path, and her granddaughter will discuss how Tamara’s work continues to inspire designers such as Armani and Victoria Beckham, and high-end watches such as the limited-edition Cabriolet De Lempicka.

Acclaimed fashion photographer Sandra Kaplan.Courtesy photo

Another Roaring Fork Valley local, since 1996, Sandy Kaplan began her career as a set photographer in late 1960s Hollywood, the first woman allowed into the film industry in that role. 

“There were no women at all in this role at that time. There were no other women with cameras on set,” Kaplan said.

In the 1970s, she worked in Paris for major fashion houses and prestigious magazines, with work featured in French Vogue and collaborations with Chanel, Dior and YSL across France, Italy and Germany.

She later returned to Hollywood to shoot for Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros. and Paramount. Her subjects included Frank Sinatra, Robert Wagner, Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash. 

“Creating an image has always been, and continues to be my mission,” Kaplan said. 

She currently teaches at Colorado Mountain College and has taught at Ghost Ranch, The Red Brick Center for the Arts and the Aspen Art Museum. Having completed successful gallery shows in Colorado and New York, she is seeking to mount another exhibition.

Artist Shelly Safir Marolt will discuss her mosaic dress sculptures and more at Forre Fine Art.Courtesy photo

Shelly Safir Marolt was raised in a fashion-forward New York family and built a career with Elite, YM and Club Med before moving to Aspen in 1989 to launch the town’s first visual merchandising firm (clients included Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Gucci, Dior and Loro Piana). She later served as fashion editor for Aspen Magazine and Sojourner. 

Today, she paints couture-inspired narrative scenes of her children to honor family.

Kiton Fashion House will be represented by its General Manager and Aspen local Mindi Safchik. It’s one of the last revered family-owned Italian fashion houses in Italy established by Ciro Paone in 1968. The brand continues to handmake all of their own clothing.

“Kiton is the best plus one, and I look forward to sharing more about it at the panel,” Safchik said.

Aspen artist Shelly Hamill, known for her mosaic dress sculptures, will participate in the “Fashion is Art” at Forre Fine Art July 28.Courtesy photo

Aspen artist Shelly Hamill, who is known for her mosaic dress sculpture, was raised in Fort Worth and has been based locally since 2009. According to her, she was inspired by her artist grandmother and created The Keller Prize, which is an inclusive call for art where anyone can submit work, judged by an artist from Aspen. 

“She was an untrained, self taught artist, and so the submission process does not require any artist to submit any bios, or resumes,” Hamill said of the prize. 

This year’s judge, Mia Valley, is from Valley Fine Art. Submissions are open through Sept. 30.

For RSVPs, email gabrielle@forrefineart.com.