Most people wouldn’t find it hard to believe that there’s only a small leap from fashion trends to interior trends. The wide availability of digital media has further increased the crossover between the two art forms. As interior designers, staying ahead of current trends now means staying current with the world of fashion.
Alternatively, in the past few years, we’ve seen multiple fashion designers delve into the world of interior design. Luxury fashion houses like Gucci, Versace and Pucci have all introduced furnishings and accessories that reflect an aesthetic sensibility synonymous with their main labels, blurring the lines between fashion and home in ever more alluring ways. In fact, many designers have taken inspiration straight from the runways to our living rooms, one such trend is the incorporation of prints in furniture. From floral sofas to elegant pillows with a minimalistic print design, a mix of prints, patterns, and colours are gaining traction in the interior and fashion industry.
One famous fashion designer known for his interior design works is Matthew Williamson. Having begun his illustrious career in fashion under his namesake brand for over 20 years, Matthew has drawn on his decades of experience and pivoted seamlessly into the world of interior design. With a penchant for bold prints, his designs reflect a love of pattern and colour inherited from his mother “My mom used clothes and bright blocks of colour to express herself and always stood out,” the fashion-turned-interior-designer says.
Williamson’s transition from fashion to interior design began in 2003 when the Rug Company invited him to design a carpet. “For me,” he states, “Fashion and interior design have always been very connected. Why would you wear a £3,000 gown, then go home and sit on a crappy cushion? They’re both part of the same design universe.” This sentiment was widely shared by other fashion designers, such as former Versace CEO, Gian Giacomo Ferraris, who states “Versace is a true fashion, luxury and lifestyle brand. Since the very beginning, it has encompassed many disciples, not just fashion and accessories, but also design in the broadcast sense.” So when they ventured into the interiors market, it seemed to be a natural move.
As one of the first leading luxury houses to establish its own home collection, Versace took this opportunity to really showcase their brand’s DNA through their designs. Designed by Donatella Versace, the signature extravagance of legendary fashion designer Gianni Versace — forever aligned with glamour, spectacle and maximalism — was present in Versace’s furniture collections. Taking inspiration from music and pop art, their subversive, maximalist and unabashedly seductive design ethos was evident, and as a result, daring prints have become an integral element to many of its textile pieces. Jewel-toned prints, Grecian motifs and maximalist floral designs featured in everything from homeware to lush carpets.
Speaking of maximalist print, another fashion house known for it’s experimental and quirky prints is Gucci. The ever-iconic Italian fashion house has become synonymous with a more-is-more philosophy when it comes to glamour and this sentiment is certainly not lost on its home collection. With Gucci Décor — launched in 2017 under the leadership of Alessandro Michele — the Italian house proposes to adopt its unique patterns and other shimmering prints within its own house; releasing a complete line ranging from embroidered cushions to GG motif plaid and Chiavari chairs — all infused with its signature maximalist rococo 70s spirit.
For Emilio Pucci and his eponymous brand, the passion for print is apparent in his furniture collections. Frequently moving beyond clothing, the renowned designer expanded his oeuvre to include rugs, porcelain and furniture all ladened with bright hues, twisted geometric patterns and psychedelic prints. “My prints are ornamental designs worked in continuous motion,” he states. By the mid-1960s, the international fashion press had dubbed the Florentine designer the Prince of Prints. Less well known is that, starting in the early 1950s, Pucci applied his colorful, abstract patterns to static angular mediums such as ceramics, floors and furniture, imbuing them with movement, not to mention glamour. He was the first fashion designer to enter the lifestyle market, founding the successful brand that exists today.
The relationship between fashion and interior design has never been more intertwined than it is today. With fashion designers taking inspiration from their runway sets and design ethos to pursuing their passion in the form of prints and spectacular furniture, the influence they have on one other seems to be limitless and exciting.
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