Inscribing Fashion into Design

Alessandro Mendini and Domus Moda 1981-85

Abstract

Alessandro Mendini is one of the most eclectic personalities in Italian twentieth-century design. He has worked as an architect, a designer in the field of applied arts, an editor and scenographer, always combining his design work with a strong theoretical engagement. This article aims to highlight the importance of Mendini’s critical thinking on design, which he has continuously pursued in his texts and his many editorial endeavours. This contribution focuses specifically on Mendini’s interest in and approach to the language of fashion and its interdisciplinary nature. In 1981 and again in 1985, when he was editor-in-chief of «Domus» magazine, Mendini published «Domus Moda», first as a special supplement and later as a column inside the magazine itself. His intention was to inscribe fashion into the broader discourse of design and design culture. This aim was shared, at the time, by other figures working in Milan, and was particularly embedded at the Domus Academy since its very foundation.