IS FASHION INFLUENCED BY ARCHITECTURE?

Fashion and architecture originate from the same root: art. So it is not a surprise they correlate all the time. Many fashion designers actually studied architecture before turning to fashion design. On the other hand, architects like Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry turned to fashion to create eye-catching shoes, jewelry lines, and bags. We can feel and see that in their designs, even if they weren’t formally talking about that influence.

While architecture is stagnant, fashion changes from season to season. Fashion trends come and go, but when it comes to architecture some things are forever. When you look at these two fields, many will say they do not have much in common. However, designers and architects are using the same methods to create - modeling, geometry sketches, creating forms, and design lines.

What is Wearable Architecture?

Knowing that fashion can be inspired by architecture, the term widely known as Architectural Fashion or Wearable Architecture took place. Fashion designers are inspired by certain structures, creating different pieces that represent a fusion between architecture and fashion.

They are usually inspired by oversized structures, shapes, and forms of certain buildings. Silhouettes and fabrics are often done in a way to manifest structure appearances, by twisting, folding, pleating, layering, and folding. That is how we get three-dimensional jewelry and clothes that leave many people speechless.

Top Architecture Inspired Fashion Designers

Coco Chanel used to say that “fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportion.” It is not a surprise that many designers that studied architecture got influenced by it, which was visible throughout their designs. These are some of the top fashion designers that got inspired by architecture.

Pierre Cardin

Even though this famous designer started learning about fashion design as a 14-year old boy, he decided to go to college to study architecture. Life, on the other hand, has another path for him, so that is why he left college in the final semester and returned to the fashion world.

Before founding his own house in 1950, Pierre Cardin was Christian Dior’s head of atelier. He was involved in creating the famous “New Look” for Dior, but since he left, the influence of architecture in his designs became more and more obvious. His designs were inspired by geometry, oversized forms, and avant-garde space-age forms.

Tom Ford

Another famous designer that studied architecture at Parsons School of Design was Tom Ford. Hopefully, he decided to switch to fashion design in his last year of study. He said that architecture seemed too serious for him at that time, so he decided to make a balance between art and commerce by starting fashion design.

Tom Ford mentioned a couple of times that even though he put architecture aside, he was always feeling influenced by it.

Comme des Garçons

Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons designs clothes that are more art than functional to wear. She said that her designs got inspired by Swiss architect Le Corbusier. Rei mentioned that the simplicity and spaciousness of this architect influenced her to make her 2015 runway show.

Zaha Hadid

We can’t go by and not mention Zaha Hadid. She cooperated with many famous designers and made jewelry, shoes, and bags that are simply iconic. Her bag for Louis Vuitton, jewelry line with Swarovski, or shoes for Lacoste are distinguishable from other pieces. Zaha presented these pieces in the same manner as her building structures.