Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37957
Browse
Search Results
Item Form follows fashion: translating haute couture craft into architectonics(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mutinga, Mercy Ndanu; Hilton, JudinArchitecture, urban design and urban planning by definition can be opened up to interpretation, much like the reverence of an artist (Barzandeh, 2010). As jacks of all trades, these professions inspire and inform trends through the use and application of colour theories, materials, geometries, design principles and structural techniques (Carroll, 2000). In fashion design, a parallel industry and profession, these objectives, principles and techniques are applied in a similar way to varied subjects seeking to achieve and translate different visions (Barzandeh, 2010). Although seemingly geared in diverging directions, the collision of these industries clasps the potential to create innovative and impeccable end results. Architecture and fashion design have been in prolific dialogue for millennia. They have always been tightly knitted in concept, theory and practice as they originate from the same root, which is art, as critic Noel Carroll described in his book ‘Theories of Art Today’. (Carroll, 2000). Mark Gelernter, an academic and architectural historian asserts that architecture is habitable art while fashion is wearable art (Gelernter, 1995). Fashion designers have consistently appropriated architectonic components into their creations, while architects are increasingly applying elements found in fashion design into building forms (Leung, 2010). When viewed in isolation, these professions appear to be two distinct and separate industries and art forms. However, when these two fields come together, they give rise to a formidable proposition (Barzandeh, 2010). In this new age, the social expression of fashion and architecture have seen revolutionary evolution, and the relationship between the two has become more apparent in each field. This thesis delves into the “dynamic connection” between fashion design and architecture, with a particular emphasis on the societal aspects of architecture and fashion design. It examines how these two fields impact individuals in society over time, influenced by factors such as technology, art, science, and culture. It creates and proposes a blueprint for a fashion institute and museum that recognizes the bold nature of fashion trends, the surface appearance of fashion design, and how it can be interconnected not only with architectural aesthetics but also with functional and spatial design aspects. The objective of this thesis is not just to effectively address the functional, formal, and technological challenges of this relationship between fashion design and the built environment, but also to suggest an urban and architectural design approach or master plan that can be implemented in analogous locations across Johannesburg and Africa at large. As the late Virgil Abloh expressed, “Young architects can change the world by not building buildings”. Young architects can change the world by creating successful and functional spaces through processes of interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts that respond to both contemporary needs and future issues.