Creative affinities: fashion and design in dialogue

As closely related disciplines with blurred boundaries, fashion and the world of design are constantly intersecting. It’s a happy marriage of genres, allowing both to express themselves in new spheres. Here are five examples.

SAINT LAURENT & DONALD JUDD FURNITURE
February 2025. Saint Laurent opens a brand new boutique on Paris’s Right Bank. To mark the occasion, the fashion house also unveils a partnership with Donald Judd Furniture, which produces furniture by the designer and artist of the same name. A figurehead of minimalist art, American Donald Judd (1928-1994) also expressed himself through furniture design, creating pieces that are instantly recognisable with their sleek silhouettes and bright colours. This chapter of his life took place in Marfa, Texas, where he lived out his final years. Having passed through Saint Laurent under the direction of Anthony Vaccarello, fifteen metal pieces of furniture, designed in 1984, ranging from chairs to tables, desks and beds, are given a new look with two finishes: white-painted aluminium or black steel. This echoes the signature colours of the famous French fashion house.

LOEWE TEAPOT
An unrivalled breeding ground for the design scene, which has constantly reinvented itself, the Off del Salone del Mobile in Milan also offers some unmissable classics. The Loewe presentation is one of them. And with good reason, as the Spanish brand has been supporting contemporary craftspeople for years. This partnership was renewed in 2025 with the ’LOEWE Teapot’ exhibition. Twenty-five architects, designers and artists were invited to reimagine all the tableware needed to prepare tea. Each of them sought to innovate using traditional materials such as porcelain, stoneware and enamel. Artist Tommaso Corvimora has created a purple column topped with a teapot and decorated with cups, Chinese architect Wang Shu has designed a green paving stone, and Patricia Urquiola has come up with a strange purple-hued structure. This proves that a simple everyday object can truly re-enchant our daily lives.

LOUIS VUITTON OBJETS NOMADES
Launched in 2012, Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades collection embodies one of the most successful collaborations between fashion and design. Among the new additions to its 2025 collection is the Kaléidoscope cabinet designed by Estudio Campana. This piece is as exclusive as it gets, as it is a one-off, available in eight different colours. The studio, founded in 1984 in Sao Paulo by the two Campana brothers, is also delivering two new pieces for the Cocoon Couture series, called Boitata and Uirapuru. Finally, on a much more pop note, the French luggage maker has treated itself to a foosball table inspired by the marine world and a Totem Vinyle with sinuous shapes.

LONGCHAMP & PIERRE RENART
It was in 2021 that designer Pierre Renart’s path crossed that of Longchamp. The company entrusted him with designing the furniture for its boutiques. For this project, he created a variation on the Wave coffee table. Four years later, the designer, a graduate of the Ecole Boulle, unveiled two creations at Milan Design Week: a leather Wave bench and eight Ruban chairs. Made from American walnut and upholstered in cowhide leather, they feature a fluid and refined aesthetic that creates an elegant movement. Pierre Renart drew inspiration for their silhouette from nature. ’My goal, when the piece is finished, is for it to be definitive and timeless in a way, so that you don’t want to add or take anything away. I try to do something original with wood, something that goes against its traditional, somewhat rigid image,’ explains the designer.

RICK OWENS
Rick Owens is undeniably one of the most fascinating and unique figures on the current creative scene. Known for his urban, precise and unique fashion style with a gothic touch, the Californian has also applied his creativity to the design of interior pieces. Represented by Galerie Philia, Michèle Lamy’s partner offers a catalogue of creations that will baffle many. His most iconic creation in this field is undoubtedly the Stag range, which features elk antlers. Topped with two blades of plywood or alabaster, this piece conjures up a unique image, closer to a ritual object than a piece of everyday furniture. Another remarkable work is the Square Alchemy armchair. While its bronze structure is as classic as can be, its seat and backrest are covered in camel skin. This choice of materials gives the piece an undeniably raw feel. Finally, a bronze lighter, produced as a single piece, resembling an animal horn, completes this bewitching set.•

photos : Salone del Mobile Collection, LOEWE, 2025 • © LOEWE • Saint Laurent Boutique, collaboration with Donald Judd, 2025 © Simone Bossi • Ruban chair, Longchamp in collaboration with Pierre Renart © Gary Schermann • Cocoon Couture, Louis Vuitton in collaboration with Estudio Campana, 2025 © Louis Vuitton • Alchemy bench, Ricks Owens © Philia • Stag table, Ricks Owens © Philia