The Impact of the Bauhaus Movement on Fashion Today
Most of us probably think of Bauhaus as an artistic movement, centered mostly around architecture, design, and art. The movement was founded in Germany in 1919 by architect Walter Gropius, and ran as an artistic collective until it was shut down by the Nazi party in 1932. The primary concerns of Bauhaus was function and simplicity, with the overarching goal of bringing all forms of art together. Because it was so concerned with stripping art down to its essentials, key themes that ran through all Bauhaus artwork were clean lines, geometric shapes, and primary colors.
Image: Painting: Farkus Molnar, Photo: Markus Hawlik courtesy of Another Mag
Although fashion design wasn’t really a part of the actual Bauhaus school, the elements and principles by which the school abided have led to the movement’s heavy influence on some of the most iconic fashion today. Since the ethos of Bauhaus was to bring all forms of art together, it makes perfect sense that fashion would eventually become a part of this.
Image: Fokiohero via Widewalls
Paul Smith
Paul Smith’s clothing has always had some essence of Bauhaus in its simple, sharp designs. His iconic stripes, too, in their colorful geometry, scream of the Bauhaus movement. In 2015, the designer created a collection paying homage to Anni Albers, a Bauhaus textile designer who has serves as indirect inspiration for Smith’s work since the beginning of his career.
Image via Vogue UK
Jil Sander
Jil Sander was a pioneer in the concept of minimalistic fashion that focused on utility. In a time where more was considered more in fashion, Sander dared to stick to her Bauhaus teachings and create fashion lines that focused on simplicity and timelessness. The women of the Bauhaus movement are often forgotten about and swept aside, but Sander’s huge legacy to the fashion world serves as a beacon of remembrance to those women who were part of the movement.
Image via Pure Style Edition
Yves saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent’s collaboration with Piet Mondrian in 1965 is the epitome of Bauhaus. Although collaborations are incredibly common now, at the time, this was relatively unheard of. Bringing visual art and fashion together, this collaboration of simple, straight cut dresses with geometric patterns in the style of Mondrian fits the Bauhaus aesthetic to a T.
Image via Indie Mag
In truth, Bauhaus is all around us, living and breathing. Designer collaborations are Bauhaus, especially between completely unexpected parties. Art and design history is not really history, and has influenced everything about the art world and the fashion industry as we know it.