Architects and Fashion?

[miss_j]

Just wondering if there are any architects out there who are involved in the fashion industry?
I'm going to begin architecture school, but my passion has always lie in fashion. I was wondering if there is a way to putting the two together.

 

[yourbestfriend]

Often times it's similar in teir own ways, both being design oriented and all. There probaly isnt a direct relation between the two, but most likely if you are in architecture you'll have a good eye at drawing as well. Tom Ford was an architect before he became a fashion designer.

 

[miss_j]

wow i didn't know tom ford was an architect! thats intersting...i've got to check to see if he's got any published work. thanks for that yourbestfriend.

 

[ilaughead]

I used to be really interested in architecture, and now I've shifted full-throttle into fashion. It's interesting to see how closely related they are, aren't they? Wallpaper* did a special once involving different architects and the fashion designers they inspired.

 

[gius]

For a while now, it seems like fashion and architecture are becoming more and more connected. Fashion has become inspired by architecture, especially designers like Hussein Chalayan. But anyway, it's also going the other way around... you see things originally from fashion in architecture, techniques like braids and weaving and pleats to add texture and interest to design in buildings. There are also more 'technological' fabrics being put in buildings for certain functions

I think a mind from architecture creates a good understanding for designing for the body since architecture is about function and creating structures that will contain something on the inside. There is a lot of shaping and building in fashion and you also need to know how to have things held up or draped, etc
But a lot of high fashion labels also have super fancy shmancy boutiques, no? Someone must have designed those things--the designs can be a bit weird. So, you could also work in designing boutiques if you want to connect to fashion

 

[chip45]

But a lot of high fashion labels also have super fancy shmancy boutiques, no? Someone must have designed those things--the designs can be a bit weird. So, you could also work in designing boutiques if you want to connect to fashion

Rem Koolhaas, well known architect, designed Prada's flagship store in NYC:

galinksy.com

Not exactly architecture, but I read that Raf Simons used to work in industrial design before making working in fashion. I guess being trained in any design form can be of benefit to you if you're wanting to work in fashion. The process of designing is the same in most fields of design I presume (aesthetics, function, etc.).

 

[prosperk]

Tom Ford did architecture at Parsons but went directly into Fashion after graduation. The Parisian architect Laurent Buttazoni, a protegé of Andrée Putman, has done a lot of fashion-related stuff. I am sure there are others.

PK

 

[miss_j]

... you see things originally from fashion in architecture, techniques like braids and weaving and pleats to add texture and interest to design in buildings. There are also more 'technological' fabrics being put in buildings for certain functions

I think that's a really interesting idea. I guess architects get inspiration from a lot of things, but to see a direct connection between fabrics and architectural forms is quite interesting.

To do fancy shmancy boutiques would be really cool of course, but I would think you'd need to be a starchitect. there aren't a lot of koolhaas out there. Though I suppose there are many small boutiques that have cool designs, too, but that would relate more to interior design.

 

[miss_j]

Wallpaper* did a special once involving different architects and the fashion designers they inspired.

I would love to get my hands on that issue!

 

[lemeray]

^ I have that issue. Perhaps I could scan it later...

 

[ilaughead]

Please do, lemeray!

 

[stepe]

Please do, lemeray!!!!!!

 

[miss_j]

Please do, lemeray!

 

[~Gina~]

Please do, lemeray!

 

[La bordélique]

I'm also echoing that request...

 

[SomethingElse]

Wallpaper* is very good about public archives! Here are the ten articles that I believe are the subject of this discussion:

Power Couples: Day 1 14 September 2006

Ralph Lauren and Charles Gwathmey

In this month’s issue of Wallpaper*, our favourite fashion icons choose an architect that inspires them or their work. To accompany this portfolio, over the next 10 days Wallpaper.com will feature 10 exclusive interviews with the designers and their architects of choice.

Wallpaper*: How do you value the relationship between fashion and architecture and do you think architecture can reflect or inspire fashion?
Ralph Lauren: I think fashion is an art and a form of expression, just like architecture. Inspiration for both stem from what’s going on in the world. I think they could inspire each other.

W*: What sort of architecture do you think reflects the Ralph Lauren aesthetic?
RL: It isn’t about a single aesthetic. I have several homes and the architecture and setting of each represents something different. My home in Bedford evokes the feel of an English estate; it is very different from my ranch in Colorado, which captures the spirit of the West.

W*: How can architecture help sell fashion?
RL: I opened a store in Japan in Omotesando this past spring. As you know the architecture of the area is known for its diversity and my store is unique. It captures a timelessness and elegance that has been part of my design philosophy for 40 years.

W*: What is it about Charles Gwathmey’s work that appeals to you?
RL: Charles is a great modern architect; he designs with clarity and focus. He's a creative mind who lives and breathes what he does.

W*: Which projects have you worked on with Charles and do you intend to do more?
RL: We have discussed opportunities and ideas. Charles was consulted on the building of the store at 888 Madison. He is working on plans for a renovation of one of my homes and has designed a space that might one day host and display my car collection.

W*: What is your favorite city and why?
RL: I find energy and vitality in many cities but New York is my home, it is where I am from and it is personal to me.

W*: How difficult is it to combine your vision with that of someone else whose vision may be equally strong?
Charles Gwathmey: Design is a collaborative process. Having an honest, direct and committed dialogue is crucial. Obviously, we both have strong visions and there are legitimate differences. However, I believe, the more interesting and motivating part of our interaction, has been the intellectual dynamic and provocations, rather than the realisations. We have discussed many projects over the years and have realised two; I was the architectural design consultant on the original Sports Store on Madison Avenue and 72nd Street, and designed an addition to Ralph’s apartment, both in New York City. We have also designed a series of alternative schemes for a garage facility to both house and show his car collection.

W*: How does an architect begin to turn the task of shopping into a memorable event?
CG: Shopping is a form of discovery and anticipation. Experiencing architecture is similar. The ideal is fulfillment, stimulation, positive memory and a desire to return.

W*: Does fashion interest you?
CG:I have always been interested in fashion as an informing design discipline: proportion structure, detail, materiality, texture, color and quality. With a heightened interest in, and an awareness of the built environment, the ‘store’ has become a critical, perceptual and psychological component of merchandising as well as imaging. Architecture and fashion are partners.

wallpaper.com source link here.

 

[SomethingElse]

Power Couples: Day 2 15 September 2006

Tom Ford and Ron Radziner

Wallpaper*: How can architecture help sell fashion?
Tom Ford: I think of my stores as being stage sets, so it is important that the architecture doesn’t overshadow the fashion. So the feel of the space is more important than the actual lines. In a store you should only notice the volume of the space. Although, personally, I like to live with challenging architecture, the same approach isn’t necessarily right for my stores. To be honest, great architects aren’t necessarily great decorators.

W*: Do you have a favourite building?
TF: My absolute favourite architect is Mies van der Rohe. Although I have never been there, I love the Tugendhat House in Brno in the Czech Republic and I have pored over pictures of it so many times. And, of course, I love the Farnsworth House, too.

W*: What sort of architecture do you think reflects your aesthetic?
TF: Again, Mies van der Rohe. With Mies, God was in the detail. I find the idea of chromed I-beams in the Tugendhat House so simple but so luxe. Refined minimalism – this is what excites me as a designer.

W*: What were your reasons for selecting Ron Radziner?
TF: I first got in contact with Ron after having visited the Kaufmann House in Palm Springs. I was so impressed by the refurbishment that I called him up and subsequently met up with him in LA to discuss working on my Richard Neutra house together. We worked on the theme of refined minimalism. Obviously the standards of construction in the 1950s were not exactly great, so we bumped up the quality of the materials used and the finishes. So, for example, where Neutra had specified pale blond wood in the original drawings, we replicated it in walnut.

W*: Have you done any other projects together?
TF: We are now working on our fourth house – though we have never worked on a store together. We make a good team. I always think the best results come from a strong architect working with a strong client. And I am a strong client!

W*: What is your favorite city and why?
TF: I have so many favourites, but I have to say I think the residential architecture in Los Angeles is wonderful. There is nowhere else quite like it, with the work of architects as diverse as Greene & Greene, Rudolf Schindler and Frank Gehry. People had the money and they built their fantasies. Another city I adore is Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I am in the process of building a house. The city has this amazing architectural unity thanks to its pueblo adobe style of construction.

W*: How difficult is it to combine your vision with that of someone whose vision may be equally strong?
Ron Radziner: In theory, it could be difficult if you worked with someone with a particularly different view of design, but Tom and I work well together because we see space in a similar way. It’s wonderful when you’re working with someone with a very strong visual sense. They can easily and quickly understand the design concept, so we can have an open, honest conversation about various aspects of the design. If someone doesn’t have that visual sensibility, you end up spending a lot of time explaining.

W*: Has this house build been a memorable event?
RR: We have worked on five residences for Tom, and each has been memorable. It has been wonderful to work with a client that shares a deep interest in the total design. We’ve been able to develop a strong architectural vision and see it through, down to the last detail of a door knob. There’s a huge challenge in taking a design vision down to that level of detail, but in the end it has a tremendous effect on the experience of the space.

wallpaper source link here.

 

[SomethingElse]

Power Couples: Day 3 16 September 2006

Viktor & Rolf and Siebe Tettero

Wallpaper*: How do you value the relationship between fashion and architecture and doyou think architecture can reflect or inspire fashion?
Viktor & Rolf : The reason that we have become fashion designers is because it allows us to escape from reality. Fashion is like a dream for us, and that is what we want to express in everything we do. A lot of material has been written about the interaction between fashion and the arts. However, our work is deeply personal and autobiographical. It reflects our thoughts and experiences. Architecture is never a direct source of inspiration.

W*: What sort of architecture do you think reflects your aesthetic?
V & R: We believe that beauty elevates humanity, it makes us aspire to believe in good. We admire architecture that reflects this sentiment, whether it is a gothic cathedral or the work of Corbusier.

W*: How can architecture help sell fashion?
V & R: By helping create the magical world around it.

W*: What are your reasons for selecting Siebbe Tettero for this coupling?
V & R: He has been part of our creative team for projects such as our first boutique in Milan and our office in Amsterdam. He understands and can translate our language into something real.

W*: What is your favorite city and why?
V & R: Our favorite city doesn't exist, but would have different elements of all the places we have visited and love.

W*: Which location or city do you think could most do with a makeover?
V & R: If we were architects, we would be able to answer that question in a second...

W*: How difficult is it, as an architect, to combine your vision with that of someone whose vision may be equally strong?
Siebbe Tettero: It is not really difficult, we think alike. The fun part of working together with Viktor & Rolf is that we immediately have the same idea and vision. Then it is easy to proceed with the project and makes sure the end project looks amazing.

W*: How do you begin to turn the task of shopping into a memorable event?
ST: By turning everything upside down.

wallpaper source link here.

 

[SomethingElse]

Power Couples: Day 4 17 September 2006

Tomas Maier and Toshiko Mori

Wallpaper*: How do you value the relationship between fashion and architecture and do you think architecture can reflect or inspire fashion?
Tomas Maier: I believe that fashion can draw inspiration from architecture. There is a creative sensibility shared between the two.

W*: What sort of architecture do you think reflects your aesthetic?
TM: I like architecture that combines functionality and design with interesting materials.

W*: How can architecture help sell fashion?
TM: A well thought out and designed interior always lends itself to a better shopping experience.

W*: What are your reasons for selecting Toshiko Mori?
TM: I admire her aesthetic and innovative use of materials related to the surrounding geography.

W*: Have you worked on any projects together or do you intend to?
TM: We hope to work together in the future.

W*: Do you have a favourite building?
TM: I have many favorites, including the Seagram Building by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye, Craig Ellwood’s Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and Renzo Piano’s Menil Collection in Houston.

W*: What is your favorite city and why?
TM: For architecture lovers, Chicago and its surrounding area are a treat.

W*: Which location or city do you think could most do with a makeover?
TM: There are so many, it’s hard to name just one.

W*: How difficult is it, as an architect, to combine your vision with that of someone whose vision may be equally strong?
Toshiko Mori: As an architect we regularly test our vision against that of our client. It is challenging yet exciting to have a counterpart with a strong vision. I run a school of architecture where multiple visions are combined to form a vision for a future of architecture; it is an exhilarating process in which strong ideas are interwoven to create a kaleidoscopic complexity and richness. In short, it is not easy but there is no other way around it in any creative process.

W*: How do you begin to turn the task of shopping into a memorable event?
Toshiko Mori: If one can extract the more cultural aspect of shopping from the mundane task of simple buying, activities like walking through the bazaar can be observed as an exotic cultural event. Shopping is full of cultural codes, symbols and meaning that are a reflection of latent desire in our society.

wallpaper.com source link here.

 

[SomethingElse]

Power Couples: Day 5 18 September 2006

Giorgio Armani and Tadao Ando

Wallpaper*: How do you value the relationship between fashion and architecture and do you think architecture can reflect or inspire fashion?
Giorgio Armani: Architecture certainly does inspire fashion and vice versa. Fashion needs to be presented within an environment that emphasizes its qualities and reinforces the inspiration behind it.

W*: What sort of architecture do you think reflects your aesthetic?
GA: Architecture that is in tune with humanity, that isn’t merely created to shock but is able to embrace the lives of human beings.

W*: How can architecture help sell fashion?
GA: When the design of a shop reflects the principle that its primary function is to provide a backdrop to the garment itself, contributing to its enhancement, then it has achieved its objective.

W*: What were your reasons for your initial collaboration with Tadao Ando?
GA: People talk about my style as being precise and austere, focused on the intrinsic simplicity of form, but also possessing strong impact and a forceful personality. I consider these values in harmony with the creative vision of Tadao Ando.

W*: Are you working on a project together for the future?
GA: Yes, we are refurbishing the interior of Via Bergognone 46, the new space I acquired last year across from the Teatro in Milan. It will be a creative continuation of the previous work completed in Via Bergognone 59, in which I also collaborated with Tadao Ando.

W*: Do you have a favorite building, any building and why?
GA: I am very impressed by the architecture of Pei. In his work there is a pursuit of the sensational, for instance through a wall that terminates in a very sharply angled edge, rather than a projection of a kind of gratuitous futurism that can often seem a little unjustified.

W*: What is your favorite city and why?
GA: I believe that every city has its own soul that should be respected and preserved.

W*: Which location or city do you think could most do with a makeover?
GA: In Italy, for example, the proliferation of buildings, particularly around the provincial towns, should be entirely eliminated rather than made over. More generally, a sense of genuine continuity needs to be re-established, in line with the indigenous traditions of whatever part of the world they relate to.

W*: How difficult is it to combine your vision with that of someone whose vision may be equally strong?
Tadao Ando: I don't think it’s difficult to collaborate with such an innovative person as Giorgio Armani. He is a smart man with a firm intent and strong will. He is always demanding but his direction is very clear and strong in vision, and mine is equally so. We discussed the concept of design thoroughly together without any compromise. Such a deep encounter and intense relationship has achieved a successful result.

W*: How do you begin to help turn the display of fashion into a memorable event?
TA: I think creativity is common to both architecture and fashion. Fashion has always provided me with lots of ideas and energy for creation, and, in turn, I would like my architecture to provide something new for creation in fashion.

W*: In your opinion, have many fashion "innovators" or designers helped advance public perception of architecture?
TA: I think the collaborations between the architect and the fashion "innovators" help to develop the new audiences who become to be interested in architecture

wallpaper.com source link here.