London Fashion Week has a long-standing reputation for avant-garde creativity, but few materials are as nostalgic or structurally challenging as the humble LEGO brick.
On September 13, 2013, designer Anne-Sophie Cochevelou brought this childhood staple to the Somerset House runways, debuting a sculptural dress that has since become a reference point for toy-inspired couture.
Cochevelou, then a student at Central Saint Martins, collaborated with a creative team to showcase the garment during the Bora Aksu show. Worn by model Aspen Glen-Cross, the look blended architectural stiffness with high-fashion silhouettes, proving that plastic bricks could be just as transformative as traditional textiles.
Aspen Glen-Cross in the LEGO brick dress by Anne-Sophie Cochevelou at the Bora Aksu show in London Fashion Week on September 13, 2013 (Credit: Will Alexander / WENN)
The dress consists of approximately 5,000 LEGO bricks, featuring a rigid, flared skirt and a fitted bodice. While the primary garment is a masterclass in geometry, the styling extended down to the feet.
Cochevelou paired the primary-red look with transparent wedge sandals, where the clear platforms were filled with loose LEGO pieces—a clever way to integrate the theme into functional footwear.
Seen from the back, Anne-Sophie Cochevelou’s dramatic LEGO couture dress revealed cascading brick embellishments, dangling tassel details, and a sculptural satin silhouette that transformed colorful toy pieces into wearable runway art at London Fashion Week
Cochevelou treated the bricks like traditional embellishments, such as Swarovski crystals or rhinestones. They appear as clusters on the shoulders, structured lining on the bodice, and as swinging tassels along the hem.
Beyond the LEGO-filled wedges, the theme was carried through to accessories, including a matching hair bow and a custom-embellished umbrella.
Anne-Sophie Cochevelou transformed thousands of colorful LEGO bricks into wearable couture, pairing the sculptural red satin dress with transparent wedge sandals filled with loose LEGO pieces for one of London Fashion Week’s most playful runway shoe moments
The intersection of LEGO and fashion has appeared in various forms over the years.
In 2011, designer Michael Schmidt created a mini-dress for Fergie’s performance at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, and Japanese artist Rie Hosokai of Daisy Balloon famously constructed a wedding gown from the bricks for a Parco Museum exhibit.
Anne-Sophie Cochevelou (in yellow) and the rest of the team as they made their way to the Bora Aksu show
While those pieces often felt like rigid costumes, Cochevelou’s work—documented on her blog, Cycle in Heels—explores the medium’s wearable potential. Her collection includes everything from jewelry to footwear accents.
This fascination with plastic accessories aligns with broader trends, such as the LEGO-inspired Chanel clutches seen on celebrities like Rita Ora.
The trend resurfaced in London during the February 2018 shows, where street style stars were spotted wearing full-face masks constructed from LEGO bricks, proving that the toy’s influence on the London circuit is far from a one-time occurrence.
A London Fashion Week attendee turned LEGO bricks into wearable street-style art, pairing the oversized geometric face mask with a boldly patterned jacket for a surreal take on playful fashion experimentation
More Playful Fashion Moments Where Toys, Plastic & Statement Accessories Took Center Stage
As this concludes our look at Anne-Sophie Cochevelou’s LEGO-inspired runway creation, it’s worth revisiting how playful materials, novelty accessories, and toy-inspired design elements have continued to influence celebrity fashion and statement footwear over the years.
From Chanel’s iconic LEGO clutches to glossy PVC styling and whimsical red-carpet accessories, these fashion moments show how designers transformed childhood references into luxury style statements.
👠 Explore LEGO-Inspired Fashion, Shoes & Playful Plastic Accessories:
- 👜 Rita Ora’s red Chanel LEGO clutch showed how Karl Lagerfeld’s playful plastic minaudière became one of the most recognizable novelty accessories of the early-2010s fashion moment.
- ☔ Rita Ora’s PVC outerwear and Chanel LEGO clutch pairing leaned into transparent plastic, glossy boots, and toy-inspired luxury with a distinctly London street-style edge.
- 👞 Hilary Duff’s LEGO shopping trip in Chanel patent oxfords mixed playful off-duty color with polished black flats, giving the toy-store outing a clean designer-footwear finish.
- 🎬 Alison Brie’s silver Jimmy Choo sandals at The Lego Movie 2 premiere brought a polished blue-carpet shoe moment to a film event built around color, animation, and playful design.
- ✨ Keke Palmer’s Lego-inspired Les Petits Joueurs clutch and Greymer pumps paired whimsical accessory design with sharp black-and-white Italian footwear.
Two London Fashion Week attendees transformed LEGO bricks into futuristic face masks, pairing the playful geometric headpieces with glossy puffer jackets, slim black tailoring, and minimalist sneakers for an eye-catching street-style moment in February 2018