The Hockney Effect: How an artist’s spontaneous style became a fashion blueprint

A recent analysis by The Guardian has examined the enduring fashion influence of artist David Hockney, highlighting how his signature aesthetic of peroxide hair, statement glasses, and eclectic colour combinations has captivated audiences for decades. The piece details how Hockney’s spontaneous approach to dressing, including his notable appearance in yellow Crocs to meet King Charles in 2022, has inspired collections from prominent designers such as Christopher Bailey and Paul Smith. It notes that Hockney’s aesthetic, documented through more than 300 self-portraits, remains a vital reference point for contemporary fashion and social media trends.

Hockney’s distinctive style was evident from his teenage years, with a self-portrait at age 16 showing him in a blue coat, red scarf, and yellow tie, already sporting strong statement spectacles. His trademark peroxide hair emerged in the early 1960s after he saw a Clairol advert proclaiming “blondes have more fun,” and he switched from NHS spectacles to round spectacles by the mid-1960s. As the 1970s and 1980s unfolded, his wardrobe solidified into rugby shirts, brightly coloured suits, and perfectly crumpled trenchcoats, creating a look that Vogue described in 2025 as having turned the artist into “an artwork himself.”

This panache was quickly recognised by the wider fashion world, with Hockney appearing on Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed List in 1986. He documented his own outfits through his art, often featuring paintbrushes or cigarettes in his self-portraits, wearing items ranging from red braces and flat caps to tweed suits. His seemingly haphazard approach to colour, central to his artistic work, fascinated those who think deeply about clothes, offering a striking alternative to the overly styled looks that often dominate the industry.

Designers have long cited Hockney as a key inspiration. Christopher Bailey, while at Burberry, designed a collection inspired by Hockney in 2013, noting the artist’s ability to mix tonal colours that “fought each other” in a feisty yet harmonious way. Paul Smith, who designed a collection inspired by Hockney in 2008, echoed this sentiment in 2017, recalling an encounter where Hockney wore a pinstripe suit with a teal shirt and emerald-green tie, creating a look that was never completely sure how deliberately put together.

Hockney’s influence extends beyond high fashion into the digital age, where images of him in his studio or wearing familiar items have become style references on social media. A dupe of his Coney Island sweatshirt is currently available on Etsy for £40, and the current vogue for the rugby shirt can be traced back to his iconic look. In his later years, he stuck to suits often made by a tailor in Cannes, set off with colourful knitwear, maintaining that flair for the unexpected until the end.