Sci-fi fashion came back to inspire designers. Science fiction, space and technology have already influenced fashion several times in the past. And 2024 sees a revival of these trends, also following the release of Dune: Part Two. While after the success of the film Barbie catwalks and shop windows were filled with girly and pink outfits, Dune boosted futuristic and desert-themed looks. The same vibes that populate the second chapter of the saga directed by Denis Villeneuve, inspired to Frank Herbert’s novels.
Fall-Winter 2024 collections see the major brands united by the inspiration of a utopian and alien future. Junya Watanabe, Dion Lee and Louis Vuitton turned their models into UFOs landing on Earth. Pierre Cardin, André Courrèges, Paco Rabanne and Rudi Gernreich recovered the retro-futurist mood of 1960s fashion. Coperni, Iris Van Herpen, Balenciaga, Mugler, Fendi and Stéphane Rolland embraced a dystopian style.
Although there are some common elements – such as geometric shapes, metallic details and large, squared sunglasses – sci-fi fashion can be declined in several ways. Rick Owens, for example, recreated a Bladerunner-style atmosphere. Jil Sander opted for a more minimalist collection. And then there’s Kenzo, which used a galactic aesthetic to combine Western and Eastern influences. In its Magic Galaxy collection Japanese kimonos and cargo jackets in Western military style come together to create space heroines’ looks.
