A Perfect Marriage
Fashion and interior design have more in common than you may think – they’re truly the ultimate ways to express yourself. Maybe you forgo heels in favor of something more practical, or you always wear a bowtie despite how much of a pain it is to tie. Your clothing choices offer others a glimpse into your personality and being. As designers, we can take cues from your fashion to curate the perfect décor for your environment – and you should, too.
Staying On-Trend
To stay ahead of the curve, interior designers are constantly drawing inspiration from other creative fields, including fashion. Paying close attention to the evolution of collections from season to season, we can develop an informed opinion on cultural expression and use this perspective to influence our designs.
Take a look at the rising popularity of “organic” living. As fashion designers began sourcing natural fabrics and crafting streamlined silhouettes in their collections, we incorporated these principles into our interiors – featuring minimal, environmentally-conscious furniture and accessories. Still, we need to take individual preferences into account. Adopting an “organic” lifestyle might make sense for a Steve Jobs-type looking to live simply, but it won’t work for someone who opts for bolder, more expressive (read: maximal) choices in their fashion.
Since it’s obviously much easier to change your clothes than it is to renovate your kitchen, trends will typically stick around a bit longer in the world of interior design. Your favorite clothing trends can go on to have a much longer life as timeless elements of your home décor – instead of just getting rid of your beloved hoop earrings when they’re no longer fashionable, you can use them as inspiration to find a similarly glamorous pendant light fixture.
In fashion, there is always something “on-trend” to appeal to anyone – even that pair of shoes you hate, there’s guaranteed to be someone out there who absolutely loves them. Labels are seemingly endless and offer so many different approaches. Pay attention to the runway, check your favorite fashion reads (blogs, Instagram accounts, whatever really), and start building on your own style.
The Process of Good Design
Whether crafting a set of furnishings or developing a line of clothing, designers will follow the same set of basic principles – choosing a focal point, establishing eye-catching silhouettes, and creating a sense of balance. Both furniture and fashion designers tend to work with their materials in their hands, building a connection between these base elements and the story they hope to tell through their finished pieces.
Look at the new Hermès punk-inspired collection, for example. The way they’ve used metallic, rounded shapes to craft bold expression pieces can be leveraged in your new living room design – expressive, with just a hint of that luxurious edge.
Fashion Designers Go Home
An easy way to draw inspiration from your fashion go-tos are to explore their home collections. We all have our preferred luxury brands (you know you have one), and we’re seeing more and more of these powerhouses expand their lines to include collections of furniture, textiles, ceramics, and more.
Mainstays like Fendi, Armani, and Gucci have all launched home labels, and many others have partnered with architects and designers to develop interior lines that draw aesthetic inspiration from their clothing. You can see this through Matthew Williamson’s eclectic collection for CB2, Jean Paul Gaultier’s designs for Roche Bobois, and even Roberto Cavalli’s luxury hotel in downtown Los Angeles – furnishings to inspire even the most avant-garde fashionistas.
We can go on for pages about the connection between fashion and interior designer, but you’re better off seeing it for yourself – watch the runway, pop into a store, or immerse yourself in a fashion-inspired space.