建築與時裝,看似互不相干,事實上關係卻是千絲萬縷。建築師出身、後來成為著名時裝設計師的Pierre Balmain曾說:「Dressmaking is the architecture of movement」,服裝的結構和剪裁與建築理論大概是同出一轍的。Prada Invites於今年春夏請來三位著名的女性建築師Cini Boeri、Elizabeth Diller和妹島和世,以尼龍面料創作有趣又具功能性的服裝和配飾,設計風格迥異,但理念一致,同樣表現當代女性對多元面貌的追求。
Architecture and fashion can seem unrelated at first glance, but a second thought could remind you how interconnected the two fields are. Pierre Balmain, who was once an architect before becoming a renowned fashion designer, once said, “Dressmaking is the architecture of movement”. This explains how architecture theory can be applied to the design of clothing. For spring/summer 2019, Prada Invites is collaborating with three acclaimed female architects Cini Boeri, Elizabeth Diller and Kazuyo Sejima. Using nylon as the material, the collaboration showcases a series of creative yet functional clothes and accessories. Although each of the three architects has her own distinctive style, they all design with an identical passion for demonstrating the unlimited possibilities of women in the contemporary world.
Prada Invites was launched in the fall/winter 2018 menswear collection. Together with four architecture and interior design groups, the campaign attempted to reinterpret the brand’s iconic fabric — nylon. Through the collection, they explore the charisma, practicality, functionality and aesthetic quality of nylon. Nylon is rarely considered luxurious as it is the material used for making parachutes. Interestingly, it has somehow become the iconic fabric for Prada. The brand often uses this smooth, waterproof and durable material on both their bags and clothes. This has, in a way, redefined the idea of luxury. Combining practicality with fashion, Prada Invites has given nylon a brand new identity. The project has also initiated collaboration among various fields of design to broaden the horizon of fashion.
“My beliefs consist in the usefulness and novelty of what is designed; this is part of the beauty of an object.” —— Cini Boeri
The Italian architect Cini Boeri stresses on the functionality of the living space. Her focus on the spiritual connection between inhabitant and living space drives her to think about how we can live better. Her recent collaboration with Prada revolves around the question of practicality, which inspired her to turn an ordinary handbag into something that can be expanded or reduced according to need and situation. A sleek design that is equally minimal and functional always serves as a good reminder of the kind of design we genuinely need.
“We were interested in merging two categories: garments and luggage. They are both articles that you could think of as accessories, but now on the body as fashion.” —— Elizabeth Diller
The design by the New York-based architect Elizabeth Diller never ceases to experiment while keeping an emphasis on functionality. She believes shoulders are the crucial parts of our body that can genuinely manifest the quality of any bag products. With this in mind, Diller created the multi-functional The Yoke. This black nylon bag with chunky metal zips and black buckles can be used as a multi-pockets clutch, on the other hand, it can also be placed on the shoulders to become a bag/accessory item.
“A bag is something that is always close to your body. At the times you end up hugging it, and other time you put it over your shoulder: much like a pet.” —— Kazuyo Sejima
To Kazuyo Sejima, the relationship between the human body and bag is as close as human to their pet. The Japanese architect sees the bags she designed a customized “pet” that can potentially become the owners’ friends. Inside of the colorful nylon fabric is stuffed with cotton, which makes the bag puffy like cotton candy; its irregular shape looks like tangram that can be pieced together in different ways to suit different moods of the day. The bag can be placed around the neck, around the waist, you can also hug them in your chest as if holding a pet. The bag Sejima designed is humorous, creative and full of possibilities, it can even be a channel for you to open a candid dialogue with fashion.