Chinese artist and outspoken dissident Ai Weiwei didn’t tell Dover Street Market NYC that he was going to pour buckets of paint all over its clothes — presumably worn by visitors to his studio in Beijing, where he’s still sequestered  by the Chinese government — for a V magazine shoot. Not that it mattered because, he said, “Rei Kawakubo is a person who has always supported and fostered unique ideas.”

Besides, when creative inspiration strikes, it can’t be unstruck. “Pouring a color on an outfit creates a new condition for the design,” he added. “It create a midpoint between two conflicting ideas. Gravity and the shape of the clothes combine to create a unique moment. Using these cultural products as ready-mades celebrates and reinterprets the intention of creativity. I think this act shows my respect toward their creativity.”