At The Intersection Of Fashion And Architecture

Nuriyah Johar
Nov 5 · 4 min read

Coco Chanel once likened fashion to architecture, stating that they were both matters of proportion. As is evidenced by the past few decades of fashion, the iconic designer’s insight was far ahead of its time — the two disciplines have converged at various points in history. From scale to symmetry, many principles that form the bedrock of fashion and architecture are common to both. While the name Tom Ford may be inextricably associated with the world of fashion, the designer graduated with a degree in architecture. Dubbed the “Queen of the Curve”, Zaha Hadid’s signature architectural style lent itself to the sartorial through her many collaborations with fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and Adidas. One of the more recent instances of crossed paths, Dior’s Autumn-Winter 2019–2020 Haute Couture show closed with a model donning an all-gold doll’s house recreation of Dior’s flagship atelier in Paris, 30 Avenue Montaigne. Closer to home, designers like Amit Aggarwal and Gaurav Gupta present sculptural form as the hallmark of their designs.

Iris Van Herpen

Widely recognised as one of fashion’s most talented and forward-thinking creators, Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen’s work is informed by her fascination with technology. Van Herpen is a pioneer in incorporating 3D printing techniques into the construction of her futuristic, surreal garments. Following a multidisciplinary approach to creation that goes beyond fashion, she has collaborated with architects such as Philip Beesley and Benthem Crouwel Architects. Moving past fabric, Van Herpen experiments with materials like metal and resin. Her hypnotic 2016 couture collection featured a dress created using thousands of hand-blown glass balls. For Iris Van Herpen, fashion is an artistic expression, and not just a commercial tool devoid of content.

United Nude

“We ended up breaking the rules of shoes, not for the sake of breaking them, but simply by not knowing them.” reads the United Nude website. Founded by Rem D Koolhaas (namesake and nephew of the world-famous architect), along with Galahad Clark, United Nude holds an explicit connection to architectural design. The brand’s first ever shoe was inspired by the Mobius strip, with a single band forming the sole, heel, foot-bed and upper of the shoe. The classic Eames lounge chair influenced an entire collection which featured a statement heel. In what could probably be termed as one of the most iconic crossovers between fashion and architecture, United Nude joined forces with 5 of the world’s leading architects and product designers for a project titled Re-Inventing Shoes, in 2015. Among these was Zaha Hadid’s NOVA shoe, a cutting edge chrome-plated product, reflecting her unique design sensibilities.

Amit Aggarwal

Delhi-based designer Amit Aggarwal is redefining Indian couture through his innovative use of industrial materials, and the sculptural forms they take in his pieces. The foundation of his brand lies in manipulating unstructured forms into structured pieces. Garments with typically soft silhouettes like saris and lehengas are made dramatically sculptural. Aggarwal’s ideas about form and structure took shape at a young age, when he observed his father work on architectural blueprints. His designs are often informed by both modern and traditional architecture — from the Hakone Sculpture Park in Sapporo to streets of Old Delhi. Materials like everyday polythene bags and rubber often find their way into Aggarwal’s work, which places great importance on sustainability. Malleable recycled polymer is a signature material used in all his pieces. Passionate about interiors, Aggarwal hopes to expand into the interior design realm someday.

Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan’s trail-blazing designs have earned him a reputation as one of fashion’s greatest alchemists. The Turkish designer’s futuristic work has included garments that transform and dissolve on the runway, dresses emitting laser beams and an entire clothing collection inspired by an electric car. Chalayan’s multidisciplinary approach to fashion that juxtaposes spectacle with function is best epitomized by his Coffee Table Skirt — a seemingly ordinary wooden piece of furniture that transformed into a skirt in front of a live audience. Chalayan’s work has been exhibited in museums like the Palais du Louvre, London’s Design Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo.

Misho

Describing its jewellery as modern architecture for the body, Misho takes inspiration from contemporary art and various architectural styles. Founder Suhani Parekh studied to be a sculptor at Goldsmiths, University of London, followed by a brief venture into architecture and interior design. Her pieces are characterised by a vocabulary of clean lines, architectural forms and simplified geometric shapes with a strong emphasis on material and form. Misho’s Blueprint collection appears as integrated constructions that unfold into a succession of chaining perspectives, while Alchemy features complex construction, drawing inspiration from geometry.

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