At the beginning of the 80s, deconstructivism first emerged as an international movement in architecture. Famous representatives such as: Zaha Hadid, Frank O. Gehry, Daniel Liebeskind, Peter Eisenmann, Günter Behnisch, Bernard Tschumi, Viennese group Coop Himmelblau created remarkable architecture that contrasts with the traditional. Through haute couture and designer fashion, there is also style in fashion as an analogy. Conventional regularity, symmetry and fixed order are largely alien. Fashion designers have no regard for everyday life or mass production. The clothing becomes purposeless, but the functional connection to the body is not missing.
Deconstructivism in fashion – history and development
Deconstructivism in fashion is characterized asin architecturethrough a playful approach to the constructive elements. What foundations, doors, stairs and roofs are to a building are the cut, seams, hems and fastenings of clothing. Conventional orders and proportions are called into question. All conventions are rejected and new aesthetic criteria are set. Deconstructivism follows the logic of complexity, contradiction and paradox. Fashion is understood as an art that conveys ideas, concepts and emotions, but does not lose its most fundamental function.
Drapage
It wasn't the movement in architecture that led to the emergence of fashion, but rather the oldest form of dressing the body - the drape. The fabric is manipulated by folding, twisting, cutting and pinning and finally a three-dimensional shape is created. Among the first designers to create their designs in this way were Madeleine Vionnet and Alix Grès. Their dresses made of flowing fabrics hugged the woman's figure and allowed a lot of freedom of movement. Elements of ancient clothing usually served as a source of inspiration. Diagonals and unconventional seam solutions, knots and twists created dresses that strive for timeless elegance. The first clothing collection was created in 1906 for the fashion house “Doucet”.
HauteCouture – Balenciaga
Later, Balenciaga used a similar approach to design its collections, but this time using stronger materials. His silhouettes appear architectural and expansive. They frame the body like a sculpture and are unique thanks to their balanced proportions and detailed solutions and are immediately recognizable as “Balenciaga”. The creative freedom in the development and realization of the models is part of haute couture, which later established itself as ready-to-wear fashion. All creations are one-off and draping has proven to be a perfect method for finding individual silhouettes.
IsseiMiyake and Yohji Yamamoto
In the mid-80s, more and more designers became interested in this technique and often used it to develop their new collections. Shifted proportions and intentional asymmetry excited the fashion world. Designers looked for unconventional but meaningful design language and silhouettes that convey a certain leitmotif. The Japanese had the greatest influenceFashion designer, which transferred the tradition of Japanese costume into modern dress.
IsseiMiyake
Unlike Western clothing, which focuses on the body, Japanese clothing places great emphasis on movement and freedom. Issey Miyake boldly experiments with new fabrics, extreme volumes and the dimensions of the body are constantly changing. Pleats are often seen in his collections, giving dresses and skirts a sculptural shape. You can already tell the designer's preference for theater and ballet costumes.
YohjiYamamoto
Among the most influential representatives of the style were the Japanese fashion designers Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto, who incorporated Japanese culture and certain philosophical principles into fashion in a modern way. Yamamoto's models are characterized by sensuality and comfort and are primarily designed in two colors - black and white, thereby conveying inner peace. The designer designs these from rigid fabrics that show that fashion is not just about beautiful surfaces.
For the fashion designers, representatives of the fashion style, the focus is on the critical examination of the aesthetic habits of fashion and society in general. The silhouettes take on an experimental character and appear unfinished, put together and simply deconstructed. Clothing is being reinvented and has a sobering effect that Japanese couturiers transfer to England, France and America.
In the 1990s, three other fashion designers in Paris explored deconstructivism: Ann Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela and Hussein Chalayan. Their models no longer serve as a beautiful presentation of the body ideal, but as a shell. The design language is strongly influenced by the material and the focus is on the innovative strength of the textile design.
AnnDemeulemeester
Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester creates silhouettes that appear casual, random and unfinished. She relies on strong contrasts, especially in black and white, which are achieved through the materiality of the fabrics. The revealed twill is one of the fashion designer's important design elements.
Martin HouseMargiela
Also originally from Belgium, Martin Margiela takes the garment apart and puts a new one together. Pants become skirts and gloves become tops, with the seams facing outwards. Margiela makes visible what is usually hidden in fashion. The unusual assembled pieces create a new aesthetic and the clothing takes on a special meaning. What is very interesting about the personality of Maison Margiela is that he has never been seen or photographed. He never appeared on the catwalk himself and wanted to focus not on the designer but on his work.
HusseinThey chatter
Hussein Chalayan is known for his extraordinary way of working when designing his collections. His clothes can often be transformed and appear like objects that are worn on the body. For him, the conventional materials and regulations are not creative enough. The basis for his collections are concepts that are implemented through clothing and presented to the public. An important instrument for his models is the drape and a source of inspiration - the antique robes.
HaiderAckermann
In their current collections, contemporary designers such as Alexander McQeen, Haider Ackermann, Matthew Ames, Helmut Land, Jil Sander and etc. interpret the theme of deconstructionism in fashion. They free clothing from its useful function and convey the idea of fashion as an art whose stage is the catwalk.
