In yesterday's post, we explored a collection of accessories inspired by iconic Parisian landmarks. But, remember, as a fashion design student, you don't need to be in a glamorous capital to find exciting inspirations. There's creativity all around you, even in the everyday environments we often overlook.
When it comes to architectural inspiration, one of the most powerful starting points is the shape of a city itself. Take Venice, for example, shaped like a fish, or Bologna, which resembles a wheel. Think about how a city's outline might inspire a design element, a jewelry piece or a pattern, perhaps? So, to kickstart your creative process, look at a city map, maybe better using a paper one as there's something special about physically holding a city in your hands and letting your mind wander over its shape.
Obviously, though, walking through a city is one of the best ways to spot potential design inspirations. Just try not to overthink it as, most times, inspiring details come when you're wandering aimlessly, letting the environment surprise you.
Since I mentioned Bologna, let's take a walk around it spotting details that may be intriguing. The image of the Virgin Mary on the remaining walls of Porta Lame (once the Church of the Santissimo Crocefisso del Porto Naviglio, or Madonna del Porto, 17th century) juxtaposes beautifully with the rusty, glass-less window behind it.
This contrast between the sacred and the decayed could inspire a variety of fashion concepts: imagine transforming that window's weathered texture into a textile pattern, or perhaps using the rusty, abandoned look as the basis for surface design techniques. The contrast itself - sacred Vs neglected - suggests an exploration of opposites, opening the door to juxtaposing elements in a design.
Exploring further the area, you'll come across the Santuario di Santa Maria della Visitazione al Ponte delle Lame, dating back to 1527. The current structure, with its unfinished façade, was reconstructed in 1764 following a design by Marc'Antonio Bianchini. The façade's brickwork is particularly striking: the disordered bricks jutting out from the side of the church like shards create indeed an intriguing texture that could serve as inspiration for fascinating textures and treatments.
For those seeking more elegant design influences, check out the Ex Reale Manifattura dei Tabacchi, a former royal tobacco factory designed by architect Gaetano De Napoli in 1906, located along Via Riva di Reno.
Its Jugendstil style, defined by graceful lines and intricate detailing, offers the perfect inspiration for minimalist yet refined embroidery techniques. The building's blend of grandeur and delicacy could spark ideas for subtly intricate patterns or the understated elegance of decorative stitching.
If you're drawn to more opulent and intricate embroideries, take a look at the ceiling of the presbytery of the Cathedral of Saint Peter, which is richly adorned.
In yesterday's post we looked at how details from a ceiling can inspire the use of sequinned embellishments to bring depth and sparkle to a designs.
But architectural details like marble floors can also provide exciting inspiration especially for knitwear. While we've looked at more complex floors in previous posts, the marble pavement in this cathedral offers a more minimalist approach. Its clean, geometric lines could spark ideas for simple, sophisticated knits with subtle yet striking patterns.
For additional embroidery inspiration, the flowers carved into the columns of Palazzo Re Enzo (the Palace of King Enzo) are worth a closer look. This Medieval and Renaissance blend of styles, coupled with its impressive brickwork, makes for an intriguing design element.
Built between 1244 and 1246, the palace once housed King Enzo of Sardinia, who was captured during the Battle of Fossalta and held prisoner in Bologna for the rest of his life. The intricate details on the columns could inspire delicate floral embroidery.
Windows remain a fascinating source of inspiration (and let's not forget that we met a window collector in a previous post), for their structures or for the decorative metal grilles protecting them.
Many windows in Bologna are in the Gothic style and therefore feature a distinct pointed arch and a central column, or mullion, that divides the space.
In some instances, especially in more intricate windows, the central column may also have decorative elements, such as carvings, further enhancing the window's visual appeal.
The mullion serves both an aesthetic and structural purpose, reinforcing the window's frame and supporting the tracery, and this idea of a dual-purpose element is worth considering in fashion design - how can a detail in a garment serve as both an integral structural component and an embellishment? Exploring this idea could lead you to innovative silhouettes where form and ornamentation become one.
Among the Gothic windows you may stumble upon in Bologna there are those of the Palazzo della Mercanzia, located in Piazza della Mercanzia, a historic crossroads where trade routes once converged.
Completed in 1391 and later refurbished, this Gothic-style palace built with a mix of brick and Istrian stone serves as the seat of commercial, manufacturing, agricultural, and handicraft activities. Its porticoed loggia with cross vaults is particularly striking, offering a play of light and shadow that could translate beautifully into layered fabrics or architectural draping techniques.
Porticoes, of course, are one of Bologna's defining features: these covered walkways line many of the city's streets, providing shelter from both rain and sun. Beyond their practical function, they also create a rhythmic, poetic quality throughout the city.
The variety in their materials, from wooden beams to solid brick, affects sound reverberation, making acoustics an unexpected yet integral part of their design. And this is an interesting reminder that fashion, like architecture, isn't just about aesthetics, it's also about movement, interaction, and sensory experience.
So next time you're on the lookout for architectural inspirations, don't just observe what surrounds you, but immerse yourself in it, listen to it, and feel it. Have a lovely architecture and fashion walk wherever you are!
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