The Tamesis
Breastplates have been seen on battlefields since the 1300s, but didn’t appear on the catwalk until 1969. Yves Saint Laurent has drawn inspiration from fine art throughout his 40-year career, hiring sculptor Claude Lalanne to combine sculpture with fashion. For his fall 1969 haute couture collection, two models walked the catwalk, their dresses printed with models of their bodies.
Since then, designers have begun offering their own renderings of the breastplate: armor-like replicas, with chiseled abs and perky chests, and smooth, rigid corsets.
Breastplates have remained popular in the decades since Saint Laurent: Thierry Mugler was a famous fan of the look, sending Jerry Hall down his 1980 show in a molded corset and flowing skirt; in 2022, Jonathan Anderson offered interpretations ranging from muscular manly abs to Loewe’s gilded organic sculptures. But perhaps no one is more fanatical about it than Alexander McQueen, who incorporated a variety of breastplates into numerous collections for Givenchy and his eponymous brand.
While breastplates aren’t exactly a must-have for street style, fashion-forward celebrities are getting in on the action. Zendaya stepped out in a magenta Tom Ford look at the 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards, while Rihanna hit the Super Bowl stage in another Loewe look by Jonathan Anderson. Just last weekend, Greta Lee attended the opening night of the 2026 SFFILM Film Festival wearing a glossy mahogany Issey Miyake. From long-time supporters like Miyake to rising stars like Grace Ling, they’ve also maintained their popularity on the runway.
This year, the 2026 Met Gala theme is “The Art of Costume,” placing fashion on the same lofty footing as fine art media. The history of the breastplate as a hybrid between fashion and sculpture is a reminder that the two are more closely linked than we often imagine. Below, we take a look back at some of the breastplates that graced the runways between 1969 and 2026.
