How to Style Deconstruction With Luna Baba, El West and Renata Kats
Three creatives provide a glimpse into their personal wardrobes and share their style notes for pulling off the burgeoning movement.
What does the term “deconstruction” mean in fashion? Essentially, it’s a chopped-and-screwed philosophy that throws out the rulebook on how clothes are traditionally made, challenging the laws of garment construction at a fundamental level. Sparking magic in the collections of Rei Kawakubo in the ’80s, Martin Margiela in the ’90s and Virgil Abloh in the 2010s, key hallmarks include unfinished seams, intentional distressing and logic-defying shapes.
Deconstruction hasn’t gone away since it emerged over 40 years ago, but its presence feels more acute in 2024 than in previous years, manifesting on the runways of established houses such as Balenciaga and Miu Miu to burgeoning labels like Ottolinger and Y/Project. To understand how to apply pieces from the movement practically within existing wardrobes, we asked three creative forces from around the world to put their unique spin on its subversive codes: Los Angeles-based photographer and image director El West; Paris-based artist Renata Kats; and swimwear designer, Luna Baba.
Comme des Garçons Spring 1997 lives rent-free in my head: deconstructing the body, challenging our perception of the female form.
Luna Baba
What’s your daily uniform?
It depends on my mood that day, but my current comfort zone is micro shorts. I like to balance them with tights or layered with chunky undies.
What’s currently on your fashion wishlist?
Archive ’90s and early 2000s Alexander McQueen. It’s a 24/7 hunt for me, the main target of course is to find pieces at an affordable price. The thrill of a lucky find!
What does deconstructed style mean to you?
Taking a staple piece of clothing, breaking down the elements that make it recognizable and rebuilding it backwards or in the “wrong’” way. Take a blazer, its pattern, all the tailoring, and then flip things inside out or reattach elements. That's deconstruction at its core. Nowadays, designers take this strategy even further. Upcycling is also a form of deconstruction, repurposing what already exists and breathing in new life.
Who are some of your favorite designers from the deconstruction movement?
Rei Kawakubo! Comme des Garçons Spring 1997 lives rent-free in my head: deconstructing the body, challenging our perception of the female form. Martin Margiela, he was lightyears ahead of time. Spring 2006 with ice necklaces dyeing the fabric live on the catwalk was a form of dismantling the established process of designing clothes. Today, my favorites are Glenn Martens from Diesel and Y/Project, Ottolinger, HODAKOVA and Dilara Findikoğlu.
How do you experiment with deconstruction in your personal wardrobe?
I have a busy and very chaotic schedule, so I always prioritize comfort. That's why I like to shop statement pieces, throw on a deconstructed top with a pair of unique jeans, a pair of statement shoes and you get @lunipoops!
What’s your best piece of advice for styling deconstructed pieces?
Rewear your precious pieces over and over until they fall apart. That's what loving fashion is really about.
I love to wear things back to front and inside out, there is no set rule. That's why I love this style of dressing.
El West
What’s your daily uniform?
Currently my favorite is a cashmere cardigan, tank top and a pair of vintage baggy jeans with chunky leather ankle boots.
Describe deconstruction in your own words.
Tearing something apart to give it a new, unpredicted life.
Who are some of your favorite designers from the deconstruction movement?
My absolute favorite of all time is Marithé + François Girbaud. All of their pieces are made with such attention to detail, with different seams and fabric combinations in one piece. I also love Kiko Kostadinov for changing the idea of what traditional clothing can be; the versatility that he gives to each piece.
How do you experiment with deconstruction in your personal wardrobe?
I love to wear things back to front and inside out, there is no set rule. That's why I love this style of dressing.
What’s your best piece of advice for styling deconstructed pieces?
Have fun! It’s like a game. Try to come up with as many different ways of wearing a piece as possible, turning it into different garments. The grey skirt that I’m wearing in one of the photos, for example, is originally a vintage silk distressed trench coat that I tied and turned into a maxi skirt.
Deconstruction is taking a classic outfit and infusing it with a rebellious energy.
Renata Kats
Describe your personal style.
I love mixing high-end trends from emerging designers with unique vintage finds. It’s a constant exploration, fueled by my photographer's eye for unexpected combinations and shapes.
What’s your daily uniform?
I believe that every day I am given a chance to play dress-up and explore new facets of myself, transforming with each outfit, but also building a cohesive look around a statement piece. I want to discover different aspects of my personality through what I wear.
Describe deconstruction in your own words.
Deconstruction is taking a classic outfit and infusing it with a rebellious energy. This movement is all about manipulating familiar shapes and silhouettes with details that feed our souls—raw edges, exposed seams and unconventional layering.
Who are some of your favorite designers from the deconstruction movement?
Martin Margiela is a true icon of deconstruction. His work is groundbreaking. He wasn't afraid to take a scalpel to traditional clothing, literally and figuratively, and completely reshape our understanding of fashion. The anonymity he maintains adds another layer of intrigue.
Young designers are taking it even further. Labels like Y/Project are pushing the boundaries of proportion, material and silhouette in ways that are fresh and exciting. It's inspiring to see how deconstruction continues to evolve and is still based on a desire for liberation.
How do you experiment with deconstruction in your personal wardrobe?
Living in a fashion hub like Paris, you see deconstruction everywhere! It naturally influences how I approach my own wardrobe. My favorite mindset is to embrace asymmetry rather than the other way around. Symmetry is often associated with perfection, but deconstruction revels in imperfection.
What’s your best piece of advice for styling deconstructed pieces?
Embrace the unexpected and strive to surprise yourself. That's when you know you’re on the right path.
This feature is part of GOAT’s exploration of DECONSTRUCTION. Discover more about the influential artistic philosophy through the encyclopedia of deconstruction and a brief overview of Y/Project.