10 Fashion Collections Inspired by Mexican Architect Luis Barragán

Wall thickness, color, scale, solar dynamic, spaces built with a subtle metaphor immersed around the meaning of life, seem to be elements found throughout all of Luis Barragán's architecture. Elements of an enduring legacy, away from the ephemeral world of fashion, textiles and haute couture; however, it’s the search for the heightening of the senses, present in the architecture of Barragán, that inspired designers to put the name of the architect on catwalks and the world of apparel. 

Transcending his architecture to a particular line of design, major names in the clothing industry have used the mystical language of Barragán. A language in which fashion manages to live a furtive beauty in geometry, color, texture, but especially a totally emotional search. 

Check out 10 labels whose collections have been partially inspired by Barragán's work and ideas .

1. LOUIS VUITTON

© Flickr User: Šarūnas Burdulis, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

The recent 2016 Spring - Summer campaign by Louis Vuitton, directed by Nicolas Ghesquiere, acquired a particular monochromatic and futuristic clothing collection. With high ceilings, solid and colorful walls in pink and purple shades mimicking the vibrant colors for the Pre-fall collection, originating from Barragán's "Cuadra San Cristobal," and inspired by the exaltation of the senses.

As a result of the photography of Patrick Demarchelier, the campaign starring the artist Léa Seydoux captures the iconic work of Barragán, playing with scale and color to reproduce the mystical goal of the season, where the architect’s horses, a recurring presence in his work , make up a landscape of strength, excitement, and movement.

2. Daniel Espinosa

© Flickr User: Forgemind ArchiMedia, licensed under CC BY 2.0

The Mexican designer Daniel Espinosa's 'Mexican Geometry' collection, inspired by Barragán’s love of the tradition of Mexican culture, synthesizes clean lines and vibrant colors through a singular minimalism seek to capture the essence of Mexican mysticism through geometry present in the architect’s work.

3. Kris Goyri

© Flickr User: Estudio Campo Baeza, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Kris Goyri’s 2015 Autumn - Winter collection, entitled "Barragán" is as its name suggests, inspired by the career of Luis Barragán. Clean cuts, geometric patterns, and a palette of colors ranging from hot pink to royal blue, by way of red and yellow, are a tribute to the architect’s most representative work and chosen by Goyri to create a collection of Mexican roots.

4. Thomas Pink

© Flickr User: Júbica Haku, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Using the themes of romance, countryside, vernacular architecture and the environment, the British firm Thomas Pink found the inspiration for its 2016 Fall - Winter collection in Luis Barragan’s latest work.

By playing with blocks and colorful geometric shapes, the recent PINK collection is an interpretation of the architect’s buildings and designs. Like Barragán did in his works, the collection seeks to integrate the function, nature, architecture and emotions present in British culture, with the starting point for the design of their pieces being the Mexican architect’s work.

5. Jesús Ibarra & Bertholdo Espinoza

© Flickr User: Tania Ortiz, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The 2010 Spring-Summer collection is a tribute to the architecture of Luis Barragán inspired by the monumentality and symbolism of color. The collection, led by 5 column style dresses, is a tribute to the Torres de Satélite, taking Mexican culture’s scale and identification as its inspiration.

6. Del Pozo

© Flickr User: Omar Bárcena, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Font uses Barragán as a starting point to create such a strong collection. Barragán’s creations are known for possessing an "emotional" style, his buildings were more about the feelings than function and that is exactly what Del Pozo has brought to fashion. A house that values tradition, its roots, details and excellent finishes that celebrate the life and emotions. They call themselves Pret-à-couture, that is the best of both worlds, designs for every day that seem couture.

7. LongChamp

© Flickr User: Forgemind ArchiMedia, licensed under CC BY 2.0

Long Champ’s limited Spring - Summer collection from 2013, designed by Luisa Villa, is inspired by the architect’s Guadalajara houses. Pieces with Mediterranean influence and a specific portrait of Mexican culture in the early twentieth century are printed on bags, scarves and other garments of linen in cotton, and blend into geometric shapes and colors that reference Barragán’s style.

8. Fred Allard for Nine West

© Flickr User: Šarūnas Burdulis, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

As part of a cultural approach via fashion, the new 2016 Spring- Summer Campaign by Fred Allard for Nine West is titled "Into the Sun", inspired by Mexico’s creative heritage of textiles, festivals, and architecture.

In the search for a symbol of the elements that define Mexican culture over time and with a particular contemporary touch, Allard chose Cuadra San Cristobal. More than an inspiration for the collection, the particular work of Luis Barragán served as a backdrop for the campaign this season, making clear that this icon of Mexican architecture is a symbol of culture and creative heritage of the country. 

9. Alfredo Martínez

The Mexican designer who won ELLE Mexico’s 2011 design contest, Alfredo Martinez breaks the barrier between different design disciplines in his latest season. A thorough intersection between architecture and fashion are part of his collection, also inspired by Luis Barragan.

Martinez’s collection is intended to be an ode to the philosophical legacy of Guadalajara called "After Barragán", basing his entire collection on the architect’s career. Vibrant colors used by Barragán aim to capture his essence and mysticism, replicating his iconic geometric compositions, shadows, lines, and volumes, opting for black canvas to contrast orange, blue and red colors in homage to the architect’s ideas. 

10. Akris

Again, the five Torres de Satélite serve as inspiration; in this case the fashion house Akris replicated this work as its leitmotif while creating their 2014 Spring-Summer collection. It's awesomeness, geometry, and color lead the start of the season, however, a replica of La Cuadra San Cristobal where horses, geometries, and colors seem to present a deep inspiration of feelings caused by Barragán’s architecture.

© Flickr User: Steve Silverman, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The creations showcased by the French model Anais Mali are a clear tribute to Luis Barragán’s architecture, seeking to integrate snapshots of his work in different outfits from the collection.

About this author
Cite: Cázares, Gerardo. "10 Fashion Collections Inspired by Mexican Architect Luis Barragán" [Luis Barragán, más allá de la arquitectura: Conoce las 10 colecciones de moda inspiradas en él] 26 Oct 2016. ArchDaily. (Trans. Valletta, Matthew) Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/797992/10-fashion-collections-inspired-by-mexican-architect-luis-barragan> ISSN 0719-8884

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