Breastplates have dotted the battlefield since the 1300s, but it took until 1969 for them to appear on the runway. Yves Saint Laurent<\/a>\u2014who took inspiration from fine arts<\/a> throughout his 40-year career\u2014tapped sculptor Claude Lalanne to combine sculpture and fashion. In his fall 1969 couture collection, two models walked down the runway, moulds of their bodies worn on their dresses.<\/p>\n From then on, designers have offered their own renderings of the breastplate: armor-esque replicas, chiselled abs and perky breasts, and smooth, hard bodices among them.<\/p>\n Greta Lee in Issey Miyake at 2026 SFFILM Festival Opening Night.<\/p>\n <\/span>Miikka Skaffari\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Zendaya in Tom Ford at the 2020 Critics Choice Awards.<\/p>\n <\/span>Photo: Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Rihanna performing in Loewe at the 2023 Super Bowl Half-Time Show.<\/p>\n <\/span>Kevin Mazur\/Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n In the decades after Saint Laurent, the breastplate has remained ever-popular: Thierry Mugler<\/a>, a notable fan of the look, sent Jerry Hall down his 1980 runway in a moulded corset with a flowing skirt; in 2022, Jonathan Anderson offered multiple interpretations, from muscleman abs to gold-plated organic sculptures at Loewe<\/a>. But there was perhaps no bigger enthusiast than Alexander McQueen<\/a>, who worked a wide variety of breastplates into his many collections across Givenchy and his namesake brand.<\/p>\n Although breastplates aren\u2019t de rigueuer in street style, fashion-forward celebrities are also on board. Zendaya<\/a> arrived at the 2020 Critics Choice Awards in a magenta Tom Ford body cast, while Rihanna<\/a> hit the Super Bowl stage in another Loewe by Jonathan Anderson molded creation. And just this past weekend, Greta Lee attended the opening night of the 2026 SFFILM Festival in a glossy mahogany Issey Miyake. They\u2019ve also retained their popularity on the runway, from longtime proponents like Miyake to newer talents like Grace Ling.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n
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