What inspires fashion designers? It’s a clichéd question, but an important one; the answers shed light on the creative process. In the fashion world, architecture is often at the forefront of invention. Powerhouse designers like Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons and the Maison Martin Margiela collective have cited architecture as informing the approach of a collection – or even their entire outlook on design. Some designers, like Virgil Abloh, Raf Simmons and Tom Ford, even have degrees in the field and draw on their training to create new and innovative apparel. Now, with COS‘s new capsule collection of Bauhaus-inspired apparel, architectural inspiration takes centre stage.

It’s a natural fit for the COS brand, an H&M group fashion label which is known for its elegantly pared down aesthetic. Launched in recognition of the eponymous German architecture school’s 100th anniversary, the COS capsule collection takes its cues from the architecture, graphics, and industrial design, of the influential movement.

Informed by the Bauhaus canon, the hand-picked capsule collection introduces sartorial interpretations of the aesthetic. The 13-piece collection includes six womenswear pieces, six menswear pieces and an accessory, all of which were inspired by Bauhaus-affiliated artists.

Throughout, Bauhaus design principles are underscored: a commitment to minimalism, geometric shapes as a focal point, and of course, the garment’s functionality. With the Bauhaus collection, COS’s radical simplicity takes on contoured and subtly expressive new qualities.

The new collection is part of a wave of commemorations marking the Bauhaus movement’s centenary. From numerous museum exhibitions to Bauhaus-inspired designs – like Leica’s new bauhaus camera, and a range of German watches – the movement is alive and well at 100. Although the eponymous school itself was forced to shut its doors in 1933 – after operating for only 14 years – its legacy lives on in the designers who encompass its ethos in their work. Now, it lives on in clothing, too.

For COS, whose past collaborations have includes projects produced alongside Studio Swine, architect Sou Fujimoto and Snarkitecture, the new Bauhaus-inspired collection is both a statement of adoration as well as an extension of its commitment to celebrating the arts.