Dezeen's top 10 unconventional fashion designs of 2020
As part of our review of 2020 we recall 10 of the most inventive and unusual fashion and costume designs from the past year, including fleshy bodysuits and a pair of inflatable latex trousers.
The Squishies by Daisy May Collingridge
Overlapping layers of skin-like rolls that have been hand-stitched from jersey and cotton and filled with wadding, beanbag beans and sand make up these playful bodysuits by textile artist Daisy May Collingridge.
The squishy flesh suits were designed as a celebration of the human body in all its forms, and aim to deny the idea that there is an "ideal body" type.
Find out more about The Squishies ›
Floating Above Limits by SiiGii
Spanish artist SiiGii used latex to create this wearable, inflatable lilo that enables people with sun allergy to float on the surface of the water in the summer without having a reaction.
The all-in-one, blow-up bathing suit called Floating Above Limits wraps around the wearer's head like a swimming cap, and features two inflatable areas behind the head and around the body in the shape of a pool float.
Find out more about Floating Above Limits ›
Inflatable latex trousers by Harikrishnan
Another designer who chose to work in latex was Harikrishnan, who used the material to create billowing, blow-up trousers that he paired with cropped, tailored jackets.
The trousers fit snugly at the waist before ballooning out to double the width of the wearer around the thighs, tapering in again towards the ankles. Air is pumped into the trousers via a seven-millimetre-wide valve at the bottom.
Find out more about Harikrishnan's inflatable latex trousers ›
South Korean fashion designer Sun Woo Chang created 13 different garments made from material stretched across poles bent into a circle, similar to the design of a pop-up tent.
Each piece can be collapsed into a flat form when not in use. The collection, called In Between, explores the idea of clothes as "portable homes" that can offer the wearer a refuge from reality.
Find out more about the In Between collection ›
Rubber Band collection by Rie Sakamoto
Japanese designer Rie Sakamoto knitted rubber bands together like yarn for her elastic garment collection, which aims to bring attention to a simple, everyday object that is often overlooked.
According to the designer, the rubber bands' stretchy quality lends itself to clothing, as it enables the material to morph to different body-shapes and sizes.
Find out more about the Rubber Band collection ›
Netina shoes by Netha Goldberg
Israeli designer Netha Goldberg created a collection of knitted shoes that have tampons, matches and charging ports attached via integrated openings their surfaces.
The shoes are designed to encourage positive social interaction by the wearer being able to offer items that are regularly lent to and shared with other people, such as when a smoker asks someone for a lighter.
Find out more about the Netina shoes ›
Biomaterial dress by Scarlett Yang
This glass-like dress by Central Saint Martins graduate Scarlett Yang was grown in a lab using algae extract and silk cocoon protein.
Due to its biomaterial composition, the dress changes shape in response to different humidity and temperature levels and would decompose in water within 24 hours.
Find out more about the algae dress ›
Fellow Central Saint Martins graduate Dahee Kim designed a collection of uniform-style garments with bulbous beanbags attached to them, enabling them to double as impromptu chairs.
Kim took design cues for the clothing from school uniforms. She wanted her playful work to act as a rejection of the strict rules and standards that "well-behaved" students have to abide by, particularly in South Korea where she grew up.
Find out more about the beanbag garments ›
8 Moncler collection by Richard Quinn
London-based designer Richard Quinn reinterpreted Moncler's down jacket in a retro-futuristic, 1960s-inspired style for the brand's extensive 2020 Genius collection at Milan Fashion Week.
One of his looks saw an all-in-one bodysuit worn under a short dress with a floor-length puffer coat worn over the top. Each garment was emblazoned with bold daisies, psychedelic patterns and bejewelled details, accessorised with a pair of oversized sunglasses.
Find out more about Moncler's 2020 Genius initiative ›
The Claw and The Bum by Beate Karlsson
Swedish artist and designer Beate Karlsson used silicone to make shoes in the form of giant human hands, positioned in the gesture of a claw, and padded shorts that imitate reality star Kim Kardashian's bum.
The designer describes her work as "fictional fashion", with her aim being to create pieces that "belong in a future imaginary world where there are less norm-driven preconceptions".
Find out more about The Claw and The Bum ›
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