Structure, volume and space: why fashion and architecture keep borrowing from each other.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 2 November 2026
Which fashion designers are called architectural?
- Cristóbal Balenciaga, for sculptural shapes like the balloon skirt and sack dress
- Pierre Cardin, for geometric Space Age designs
- Issey Miyake, for pleats and folding
- Hussein Chalayan, whose Fall 2000 coffee tables turned into skirts
- Iris van Herpen, for 3D-printed couture
Which designers trained as architects?
Gianfranco Ferré, known as “the architect of fashion”, who led Dior from 1989 to 1996, and Virgil Abloh, who studied architecture before founding Off-White and leading Louis Vuitton menswear.
Which fashion buildings were designed by famous architects?
Prada’s Tokyo store by Herzog & de Meuron and its New York store by OMA, the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris by Frank Gehry, and Fondazione Prada’s Milan venue by OMA. Zaha Hadid also designed shoes and bags.
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