The Encyclopedia of Deconstruction

Antwerp Six. The Crows. Virgil Abloh. A comprehensive overview of the influential artistic philosophy.

WRITER: Joe Bobowicz PUBLISHED: May 20, 2024

One fateful day in 1989, lauded fashion photographer Bill Cunningham changed the way we speak about exposed seams forever. “Deconstructivist” was the term he used to describe Martin Margiela’s FW89 collection in Details Magazine, after which the word became a fixture in fashion discourse. The concept, which ranges from distressing to disheveling to a process-revealing approach to design, finds its roots in mid-century continental philosophy and was first popularized by Jacques Derrida.

From there, it made its way into the world of architecture, graphic design and contemporary art. When it reached fashion, deconstruction offered a riposte to the polished, prim and office-appropriate aesthetics that had ruled the runways of the early ’80s. Fronted by a guerilla group from Antwerp, Belgium, the movement forced fashion to reckon with time-honored traditions and established ways of working.

Of course, the story of deconstruction—now omnipresent from everyday ripped jeans to asymmetrical formal dresses—is one of many chapters in the long history of fashion. Below, an extensive overview of the movement’s key figures, moments and storylines, arranged in alphabetical order.

Consisting of Ann Demeulemeester, Marina Yee, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene and Walter Van Beirendonck, the Antwerp Six were all trained at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Showing together in London in 1986, the collective’s revolutionary perspectives helped shape modern fashion design.

Devoted to the work of avant-garde designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo, “The Crows” were known to exclusively wear garments from the Japanese legends, identified by their all-black ensembles.

Challenging traditional conventions of glamor, designers throughout the ’80s, ’90s and into the new millennium intentionally crafted garments that appeared as if they were falling apart on the wearer.

A rebellion against the excess of the ’80s, grunge reflected the emerging cynicism of the ’90s. Known for its raw, thrifted aesthetic and epitomized by Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, the style made waves in the fashion world after Marc Jacobs presented a grunge-inspired SS93 collection for Perry Ellis.

Austrian designer Helmut Lang represented a new wave of minimalism in the ’90s. Lang often reimagined everyday garments like denim, tank tops, T-shirts and military surplus outerwear, reexamining their functionality or transforming their look and shape with tactful alterations.

Martin Margiela’s work plays with expectation, challenging industry conventions across virtually every dimension. Rarely seen in public, his reclusive persona made him a counterpoint to the modern concept of “fashion designer as celebrity” further fueling interest in his avant-garde garments.

In 1988, the Museum of Modern Art launched “Deconstructivist Architecture.” The exhibition exposed a new generation of interior and industrial designers, turning Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas into household names.

Based in Berlin and helmed by Cosima Gadient and Christa Bösch, Ottolinger builds on the legacy of designers like Martin Margiela and Helmut Lang, deconstructing silhouettes to form new shapes while recontextualizing familiar garments.

Postmodernism rejects the belief in a single absolute truth. This concept lent itself well to the deconstructivist architectural movement, which challenged rigid conventions to create new shapes and forms of being. On the runway, this manifested as presentations that defied the idea of a traditional show.

Celebrating the cycle of destruction and reconstruction, punk rebelled against the idea of functionality and traditional “good taste.” Designers like Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren embraced the movement’s sense of chaos to give new life to older forms.

Despite his reputation for dark colors and themes, Rick Owens’ designs have a sense of lightness, riffing on proportion and silhouette to create an aesthetic that brings together minimalism, punk and couture.

Through deconstruction, garments can be rebuilt anew. Designers like Martin Margiela and John Galliano have played with the idea of upcycling items into entirely new collections, resurfacing archival pieces in ways that honor their heritage.

Through his work at Off-White, Louis Vuitton and Nike, Virgil Abloh prioritized deconstruction, breaking down barriers to reveal the inner workings of both garment design and the insular fashion industry.

Helmed by Glenn Martens, Y/Project’s conceptual approach to design plays with proportion and convention, reimagining familiar garments by distressing, destroying and reshaping them.