Fashion Architecture of Boditecture

Boditecture design from Spring/Summer 2012.

San Francisco architect turned fashion designer Wen Guo is transforming fashion with Boditecture, her collection of convertible ready-to-wear clothes.  Featured in SF’s Fashion Week this past fall, she has developed a name for herself in a short time, most recently reaching an audience of 2 million plus with a Fab.Com flash sale of her convertible scarves.

Each piece she develops can be worn in multiple ways, transforming the wearer into entirely different looks.  Most people would say that the garment gives the most “bang for the buck”, as one design is actually “eight outfits in one”.  Boditecture lets the wearer have the opportunity to broaden their creativity and become their own best stylist!

The runway shows of her collection have received high acclaim from the fashion community in San Francisco, with most people amazed at the ease it takes a model to switch from one look to another, right before their eyes.  There’s no need to run into a dressing room and take off a piece here and there.  The clothing can be unhooked, snapped, undraped or flipped into a different look. 

What sets Boditecture apart from other designers’ convertible fashion is that it elevates this styling by going beyond simple draping a piece of fabric to create various looks.  With thoughtful construction, Wen has architect clothes with sleek, flattering lines and ingenuous features.  Her latest collection introduces the use of magnets to replace all buttons and snaps.

Designer Wen Guo working on a design.  Photo by Ryan Chua.

 In reference to her inspiration for this idea, Wen said “As an Apple fan, I was reading Steve Job's biography recently and was fascinated with his minimal approach in product designs, especially the magnetic feature he used in connecting different devices together.  I always want my convertible design to have a dramatic effect from one style to another, so I was inspired by him and started to play with magnets.  After some exploration, it seems to work very well in some designs, so I replaced all buttons and snaps with magnets.”

Boditecture bodi-scarf.  Photo by Henry Alfonso Navarro.

Her new innovative collection will be premiered at the “Fashion for Hope” show on February 4, 2012 at Temple (540 Howard Street, San Francisco) from 6:00 to 10:00 pm.  This promises to be a unique experience as models are magically transformed by the  magnetic Boditecture designs. 

When asked what keeps her inspired and motivated with her designs, Wen said “After I showcased my Spring/Summer 2012 collection in San Francisco Fashion Week, I started to approach stores and buyers and never got any response.  After a couple months of trying, I was about to give up and head back to my architecture field - at least I would have pay check!  However, this past November, a friend suggested I produce scarves for the winter months.  I started designing scarves and it suddenly opened a lot of doors for me.  Fab.com just launched a Boditecture scarves sale to 2 million users and other e-commerce retail sites have approached me too.  So hopefully Boditecture will keep growing so I won't have a chance to head back to architecture.”

Boditecture bodi-scarf.  Photo by Henry Alfonso Navarro.

And hopefully Boditecture will grow and succeed with the same ease and grace it takes for each her designs to transform from one look to another.

Additional information on Boditecture can be found at www.boditecture.com.

Tickets to the Fashion for Hope event can be purchased at http://fashionforhope.eventbrite.com/.  Ticket cost ranges from $25 to $30 with a portion being donated to the charity Marathon Boy Trust Fund.  It is highly recommended to purchase tickets beforehand, as they may not be available at the door.