I have experienced and observed this firsthand: fashion
design and architecture, despite their material and functional differences,
share a universal artistic language. Both concepts strive to create aesthetic
experiences, seeking harmony, anthropometric proportion, and beauty. Thus, if
we relate them in another way. Fashion, with its silhouettes and textures,
dialogues objectively with architecture through volumes and surfaces.
This correlative connection is not limited to theoretical
aspects, and it should be emphasized that these are based on anthropometry.
Hypothetically, fashion manifests itself on catwalks, inside buildings (window
dressing), and in avant-garde exhibitions where garments resemble structures
and buildings resemble clothing. It is a language that goes beyond words: a
visual, tactile, and emotional language.
Design, proportion, and aesthetics: common pillars
Like anthropometry, if there is one thing these two
disciplines share, it is their obsession with proportion. Both fields have
inherited the classical fundamentals of design, such as the golden ratio,
symmetry, and the expressive balance between form and function. Whether
designing a garment or a building, both types of creators study how these
elements relate to each other and to their surroundings.
Architects use plans, scales, and models to anticipate how
their designs will interact with light, shadow, temperature, and the
phenomenology of human movement. Fashion designers do the same, but with different
body types as their starting point.
The drape of a fabric, the stiffness of a seam, the fit at
the waist. Everything is calculated with precision to achieve an aesthetic that
not only looks good but also feels excellent. This quest for “functional beauty”
makes both of these purely artistic endeavors: architecture as habitable art,
and fashion as wearable art.
The body and space: a constantly evolving dialogue
When we talk specifically about architecture, most people
associate this field with grandiose constructions, aesthetically speaking. And
when we talk about fashion, generalizing a little, we probably focus solely on
small objects that we carry with us, such as bags or expensive gadgets, etc.
However, both fields have the human being as their central focus. Architecture
surrounds us; fashion envelops us.
This deep connection is manifested in the way both fields
use space, light, and shadow to generate impact and emotion. Think of a dress
that changes color depending on how the light hits it. Now think of a facade
that casts moving shadows throughout the day. In both cases, there is a design
that interprets movement and the passage of time.
In my limited experience, fashion and architecture, at their
core, are artistic expressions that seek to transcend the functional to reach
the sublime, creating a continuous dialogue between the body and space, between
dressing and inhabiting. And that internal dialogue, when honest and creative,
generates unforgettable pieces that speak as much about culture as they do
about the era.
Volume, texture, and structure: connecting materials
Beyond conceptual design, fashion and architecture literally
touch each other through their materials. Today more than ever, we see dresses
made of concrete, steel, or fiberglass, while buildings mimic the fluidity of
silk or the folds of a skirt.
This convergence is enhanced by disruptive technologies such
as architectural textiles to create climate-adaptive parametric facades, or the
latest collections of women's sportswear that incorporate smart fabrics in
response to natural factors that affect body temperature, thus optimizing
flexibility during movement or regulating body moisture.
Specifically, for a collection of high-performance women's
sportswear, this hybridization is of the utmost importance: designers and
architects explore textures, weights, and transparencies together, transforming
technical properties into narratives that transcend aesthetics. It is no
coincidence that the materials that clad skyscrapers today define the next
generation of leggings and sports tops.
Iconic cases where fashion dresses up in architecture
Throughout recent history, some of the most striking moments
in design have been those in which fashion adopted architectural principles. I
am referring to indelible cases where it is not just clothing inspired by buildings,
but true wearable structures.
One of the most obvious references is the collection by
Hussein Chalayan, who fuses fashion with technology and has, on more than one
occasion, presented dresses that transform themselves using integrated
mechanisms, as if they were folding structures. Chalayan, a fashion thinker, is
a creative being known for his scientific and architectural approach, and his
works often challenge our understanding of clothing.
In this sense, Alexander McQueen also crossed that line.
Many of his collections played with extreme volume, with structures reminiscent
of both gargoyles and Gothic vaults. His collaboration with architects and his
inspiration from organic and classical structures made him an icon of
space-fashion.
Issey Miyake and his “Pleats Please” series is another
example where texture and geometric repetition give rise to garments that look
like living constructions. His work with technological materials and industrial
processes parallels the work of many contemporary architects.
When architects design fashion
But the influence of fashion also runs in the opposite
direction. Some architects have taken a leap of faith directly into the world
of fashion, demonstrating that the principles they apply on a large scale can also
be translated into a seemingly simple garment.
Zaha Hadid, for example, collaborated with brands such as
United Nude and Chanel, creating shoes and accessories that defied gravity. Her
curved, futuristic, almost liquid style found a new form of expression in the
fashion industry.
Peter Marino, an American architect known for his experience
in luxury design, has been responsible for designing boutiques for Chanel,
Dior, and Louis Vuitton. But his disciplinary approach extends beyond
commercial architecture. Marino not only dresses well, but also integrates the
art of dressing into every space, often with installations or designs that
could easily be worn.
In these cases, it becomes clear that there is no clear
barrier between “architect” and “fashion designer.” Both work with form, with
emptiness, with visual and functional aesthetic expectations. These
practitioners understand the power of a first impression.
Innovation and mutual inspiration: a creative cycle
Fashion and architecture inspire each other, creating a
never-ending cycle of innovation and creativity. As I write this, I can see
that every piece of clothing or every impressive building is a statement of
intent, a response to the trends and needs of the times.
Returning to what we have learned so far, architecture
observes the flexible materials adopted by fashion to solve problems of
mobility, sustainability, and efficiency. Fashion, in turn, adopts the
rationality of architectural design to structure garments that escape
ornamentation and become disruptive wearable concepts.
We live in an era where interdisciplinary collaborations are
not the exception, but the expectation. Projects such as Iris van Herpen's
collaborations with industrial designers, or ephemeral fashion installations in
architecture museums, prove that the future of design lies in mixing, crossing,
and creative contamination.
Beyond clothing and living
The influence between fashion and architecture is palpable, a
testament to the power of design to enrich our lives. Simultaneously, these
specialties are ceasing to be “ways of creating objects” and becoming
experiences. Immersive realities that we inhabit and wear.
And the more they integrate with each other, the more we
understand that design is not exclusive to a scale, a material, or a use. It is
a way of thinking about the world. Of imagining what does not yet exist.
In that sense, dressing or creating buildings are
manifestations of the same human impulse: to create beauty with meaning, toward
goals that matter. To imagine possible futures and make them a reality, whether
on the body or on the earth. And you, what do you think? Do you believe that we
can effectively relate fashion to architecture, or is it nothing more than a
social paraphrase with similar contexts of creative development?
