Fashion & Interiors. A Gendered Affair.

In nineteenth-century domestic ideology, women played an important role as ‘beautifiers’ of themselves and their homes. With an eye on comfort, the lady of the house would decorate the interior with soft cushions and textures, drapes, handiwork and all manner of knickknacks. Her body, too, was weighed down with layers of fabric and passementerie with the result that she merged with her interior, almost to the point of disappearing altogether.

This visual mergence was given substance by a number of discerning male creatives, including Henry van de Velde, who started designing women’s clothes. In their pursuit of harmony, they unified architecture, furniture, decor, clothing and accessories to create a total work of art.

Modernist (interior)architects like Adolf Loos, Lilly Reich and Le Corbusier also had their opinions about fashion, which were consistent with their vision of design. They strove for functionality and were opposed to unnecessary ornament.

Contemporary creations by (among others) Maison Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons and Hussein Chalayan on display in the exhibition, serve as a cue to reflect on the historical correlation between interior and fashion.