It is far too easy to take architecture-themed fashion too far, as these rather outrageous outfits illustrate in awkward angular ways. That said, the underlying idea is compelling, even if the execution is a bit too fashionably extreme.

Perhaps it is partly a problem of presentation – fashion designers are called upon to create bold new lines that stand out from the pack and look sensational when strutted down a runway, while good detailing in architecture is often subtle and discreet. There is a significant disparity in a ‘timeless’ approach versus a ‘timely’ one as well.

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Many other comparisons can, of course, also be made between building design trends and high-fashion styles, but there seems to be a frequent inverse correlation in terms of the success and scale of such an endeavor: things that are forced to be too much like large-scale architecture fail to make compelling everyday costumes. But hey, at least if you show up dressed like a famous museum, concert hall or city skyscraper you won’t have to worry about that worst-of-all faux pas: finding someone at the party wearing the exact same outfit. (Latter images: Don Ashby, Reuters).