Inside the rare designer archive of stylist Isabel Bonner

The London-based stylist shares a glimpse at her ever growing collection, which includes Nicolas Ghesquière-era Balenciaga, Raf Simons's Dior and more.

For stylist Isabel Bonner, her archive of around 200 rare designer pieces tells a personal history as much as it does a fashion one. “Most of the pieces belonged to my mother, who collected clothing with intention,” says Bonner, who grew up in New York before relocating to London, where she is currently based. “When she began downsizing and could no longer wear many of them, we had to decide what to do. I sold a few early on, decisions I still think about, and quickly realised dispersing them felt wrong. So instead, I opened the wardrobe.”

Pieces from the collection—which includes Nicolas Ghesquière-era Balenciaga, 1980s Comme des Garçons, and Martin Margiela-designed Hermès—regularly feature in Bonner’s work for publications such as Document Journal, Novembre and Dazed Beauty. They are also regularly lent out to friends, as mentioned in this past “I love this one…” post.

More than anything, though, they have served as a educational resource for Bonner’s own creative process. “Growing up around these clothes shaped my eye in ways I only understand now. Their silhouettes, their weight, their clarity of construction. Living with them over time sharpened my attention to proportion and to how a garment holds itself. It made me sensitive to the difference between something momentary and something that endures.”

Moving forward, Bonner hopes to expand the collection to better cater to editorial and celebrity dressing, but the collection will always remain considered, with a focus on pieces that have a lasting significance. “These pieces carry authorship and history. When they enter an image, they bring structure and context with them. The sizing has also been significant. Having access to pieces in 42–48 allows for a different kind of casting conversation.”

Below, she shares some of her favourite pieces from the collection.

Cream jacket. Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière Autumn/Winter 2006.

This piece feels almost devotional to me.

The couture cut is unmistakable. The internal architecture holds the body in a way that feels sculptural rather than decorative. The mix of cream brocade and velvet speaks directly to the codes of Cristóbal Balenciaga: restraint, severity, volume controlled by precision. The ornamentation is disciplined.

What I love most is the tension. The brocade is romantic, almost ecclesiastical, while the structure grounds it with weight and gravity. It holds history without becoming nostalgic. It proposes that femininity can be structured, not fragile.

Corset boots. Dior by Raf Simons.

To me, these boots feel like a study in control.

The elongated line and corset-like lacing reflect Raf’s fascination with tension. Delicacy versus severity. Romance versus structure. There is a historical whisper, but stripped of nostalgia.

Placed beside the Balenciaga pieces, they create a dialogue across houses. Different designers interrogating similar ideas of form and discipline. I like that friction.

Floral Jacket. Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière Spring/Summer 2008.

This piece speaks to me because of the contradiction.

The floral is saturated, almost confrontational, yet the silhouette is architectural and controlled. The print never collapses into sweetness because the construction refuses it. It insists on exuberance and discipline at once.

Wool knitted corset top. Tao by Comme des Garçons.

This piece feels intimate.

A corset usually implies restriction, but the knitted construction softens it. It holds the body rather than reshaping it. The texture introduces tenderness into something traditionally rigid. It is rebellious in its quietness.

Hat. Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière Autumn/Winter 2006.

One of my favourite pieces in the archive. I love it for its restraint.

It is equestrian in reference, but abstracted. Less about sport, more about posture. There is a quiet severity to it. A hat like this does not accessorise, it punctuates.