Architecture inspires fashion: the Villa Malaparte, the Eiffel Tower and the Louis Kahns Salk Institute host fashion shows

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https://www.archdaily.com/1017567/architecture-inspiring-fashion-villa-malaparte-the-eiffel-tower-and-louis-kahns-salk-institute-host-runway-shows

Beyond serving as a simple backdrop for fashion shows, architecture often influences fashion collections, spatially contributing to their narrative, providing material inspiration, and showcasing the connection between structure and form. While both disciplines revolve around form, structure and the human experience, architecture and fashion share a strong connection, often explored by designers from both fields. Whether it's meticulous tailoring and structural designs that mimic architectural lines, contours and volumes, or architecture that takes inspiration from the way fashion works with the human form, this interaction can create multidimensional experiences for lovers of haute couture and architecture.

On June 10, French brand Jacquemusknown for his minimalist creations with surrealist touches, chose to celebrate his 15th anniversary with an exclusive parade at Villa Malaparte. The venue, usually inaccessible for this type of event, made another exception for Saint Laurent, which presented it as the backdrop for its spring 2018 campaign featuring Kate Moss.

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Read on to discover some of the intersections between architecture and fashion explored through runway shows curated and influenced by classic works of architecture.

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Jacquemus 15th anniversary show at Villa Malaparte in Capri, Italy

Jacquemus presented the FW24 collection at Villa Malaparte in Capri, an infamous and controversial modernist Italian villa located on the island of Capri. Built between 1938 and 1940 by writer Curzio Malaparte and designed by Adalberto Libera, the villa features a design that is both simple and memorable, with its clean lines fitted well to suit its Mediterranean cliffside location. This choice highlights the Mediterranean aesthetic often explored by designer Simon Porte Jacquemus. The villa, widely promoted on social networks, highlights Jacquemus' talent for creating anticipation. The location was also chosen for its link with the history of cinema, notably in “Le Mépris” by Jean-Luc Godard.

Yves Saint Laurent fashion show near the Eiffel Tower

The Saint Laurent Summer 2024 women's collection, designed by Anthony Vaccarello, was presented on a modernist setting located in front of the Eiffel Tower, an approach aimed at highlighting the assertive sophistication of the collection. With simple lines and a pragmatic approach to clothing structure, the collection is said to be inspired by pioneering women like Amelia Earhart and Adrienne Bolland, presenting a looser silhouette with couture-inspired daytime looks.

Louis Vuitton show at the Louis Kahns Salk Institute

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, designed by Louis Kahn in 1965 and commissioned by Dr. Jonas Salk, has long been valued for its spatial qualities, with symmetrical structures opening onto the Pacific Ocean. In May 2023, Nicolas Ghesquire of Louis Vuitton took inspiration from this classic work of architecture, allowing minimalist design to influence his collection. He also chose this place to present the Cruise Collection 2023.

I wanted the clothes to be like reflections, a point of contact between light and people.- Nicolas Ghesquire

Saint Laurent Mens Summer 24 at the Neue Nationalgalerie by Mies van der Rohe

In 2023, Anthony Vaccarello unveiled his latest Saint Laurent collection at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, a classic of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's modernist architecture, recently renovated by David Chipperfield. In addition to its unique location, the exhibition is inspired by the gallery's clean lines and “unexpected lightness of construction.” The resulting silhouettes are both sharp and elegantly minimalist, echoing the timeless appeal of the architecture, which remains as contemporary today as it was when it debuted in 1968.