Today, our homes represent a powerful projection of our identities. As the Evening Standard explains, “The demand for a home that’s as stylish as you are, and the idea that every brand is a lifestyle package, has given rise to new opportunities for design labels, blurring the lines between fashion apparel and interiors even further.’’
Harper’s Bazaar points out that “The worlds of fashion and interior design have never been total strangers; there have long been tangible links between the catwalk and what people are doing in their homes”.
Fashion designers are known to have impeccable taste when it comes to dressing their models and creating couture collections, and it feels like a natural progression of this ideal for fashion houses is to pivot to interior design. The results, it must be said, are mixed, but when they get it right, the fusing of high fashion and home design can be striking.
Just as how we dress our bodies, how we dress our homes is an expression of ourselves, and if you’re looking to bring high fashion into your home interior design, here’s how to do just that.
DESIGNER HOME COLLECTIONS
More and more high end fashion houses are branching out into homeware, matching their sartorial aesthetic to their premium home lines.
It makes sense that homeware is an attractive proposition and a natural next step for fashion-focused designers. The consumer appetite for homeware collections has grown exponentially, especially since the pandemic changed the way we see our homes and the devotion we put into making them look beautiful.
Fashion brands like Dolce & Gabbana, who announced their first ever home decor collection, ‘Dolce & Gabbana Casa’ earlier this year, have realised that they can sell a lifestyle that reaches further than purses, handbags and shoes.
That said, not many of us can afford to spend big bucks on a candle that costs over £500 or a lampshade that stretches into the thousands. The answer? Pore over designer collections and recreate them in a more affordable way. We’re currently swooning over the Casa furniture collection from Dolce & Gabbana, which offers a “chic collection of colorful curios”.
The explosion of colours and eye-catching motifs provides inspiration that can be applied to the home, even on a budget. Consider finding similar bold prints and fabrics and upholstering the furniture you already have with them. Or, mimic the more vibrant visual features seen in the collection by adding a similarly intricate and explosive pattern to a wall in your home that’s begun to look tired.
Read: 5 IDEAL ways to give your old furniture a modern makeover
LISTEN TO THE GREAT DESIGNERS
Fashion is a way of expressing who we are before we say a word – a visual marker of our outlook, our views and our disposition.
Your home’s unique style can say just as much about you as your wardrobe, and if you’re looking to channel your interior design style succinctly and clearly, it might be worth heeding the words of some of the world’s most influential fashionistas.
As Vivienne Westwood famously said, “Buy less, choose well” whilst Gianni Versace cautioned “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you’’.
But Stefano Gabbana perhaps put it best when he said plainly, “Be honest. Just be yourself.” And although these words of wisdom were intended primarily for your clothing choices, they could certainly be interpreted as guiding principles of home design seen through the lens of high fashion, too.
Putting your own stamp of individuality on your home, as opposed to uninspired, identikit high street trends, is vital if you’re going to achieve that haute couture look domestically.
Read: 5 IDEAL ways to bring some personality to your rental home
CREATE AN INSPIRATION BANK
Inspiration bank, mood board, vision board, ideas jam…call it what you like, but if you’re to design your house in the curated, clearly defined narrative of a high fashion show, then you’re going to need to gather your ideas and visualise them as a single entity.
Go out and actively seek inspiration, from the worlds of both fashion and interior design. London’s Fashion & Textile Museum and the Fashion & Space Gallery are great places to start, with both showcasing the interaction between the two industries. The world famous Victoria & Albert Museum, which houses almost 3 million objects in the field of art and design, will also provide inspiration and ideas about these interconnected worlds.
Of course, there are more modern channels of inspiration, too, from fashion and interiors magazines to the infinite length, breadth and depth of the internet.
Once you’ve collated these disparate elements into a selection of images that summarise your interior design vision, create a visual ‘inspiration bank’ that you can refer back to, time and time again, keeping you focused on that synergistic, unified aesthetic for your home.
STATEMENT PIECES & ACCESSORIES
As Gachoucha Kretz from HEC Paris told Vogue Business, designers like “Alexander McQueen, Versace and Valentino” will “create things that stand out” and are perceived as “independent” and “bold”. The good news? This ethos is reassuringly affordable when applied to the modern home.
When it comes to fashion, it seems that accessories represent the perfect opportunity to define and distinguish ourselves, to stand out, and to create our own unique style in a way that clothes alone can’t.
First things first, if you see a home accessory that you absolutely love and are drawn to straight away, then trust your instincts and buy it. After all, we said these little trinkets were a defining feature of your overall style. However, if you’re only after an accessory because it’s ‘on trend’, then remember those wise words from Versace that we mentioned earlier, and think twice before buying.
A few statement pieces can work wonders, too, at lifting the aesthetic value of a room and channelling that sense of haute couture. We’ve written a few top tips on pieces that bring that sense of high fashion and luxury here; do check it out.
ASPIRATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Rebecca Robins, global chief learning and culture officer at Interbrand, told Vogue Business that “Luxury products and experiences are predicated on the emotional. They don’t represent a need, but an aspiration.”
As Forbes reiterates “aspiration is essential to luxury marketing and more importantly, an essential part of our human DNA. Since the beginning of time, people have conferred special meaning to objects.”
Most of us can’t afford designer items for our home, but we can bestow meaning and affection onto objects we unearth via the most prudent of means. All it takes is a little endeavour; consider scouring the local flea market, thrift store or charity shop, finding pieces that are aspirational in their individuality, sure, but also in their affordability.
After all, high fashion is increasingly turning to thrift to demonstrate a greener, leaner potential, particularly in the face of increased criticism concerning fashion’s impact on the environment. Why don’t you do the same and shop second hand? In doing, you may well unearth a piece that is both timeless and unique.
THE BOTTOM LINE
High-end fashion isn’t just limited to our closets anymore; it also has a role to play in shaping how we dress our homes, too. Whilst the temptation might be to interpret ‘high end’ as meaning new investments in the latest trends, increasingly, the upper echelons of the industry are focusing on upcycling, repurposing and finding new meaning in something old. Perhaps the best way to use the ethos of high fashion at home is to do the same.