The entire world is freaking out about Star Wars and the fashion industry is no exception. Fashion has never been this inspired by any other movie franchise. Think about it. Have you seen people sporting Mockingjay necklaces or Gryffindor scarves outside of Halloween 👻? Star Wars inspired clothing is more than just costume. The Force has taken over the fashion world from snapbacks to floor-length ball gowns.

In fact, fashion has always had an obsession with science fiction. In the midst of the 1960s space race 🚀, Pierre Cardin pioneered the Space Age style. Here’s a photograph of Cardin’s work from 1968.

His models sported astronaut-like head gear paired with saturated colors and sleek vinyl fabrics. The silhouettes were very body-conscious and gender specific. You’ll notice that the Star Trek series of the ‘60s mirrors this aesthetic.

Here’s an attendant dressed in a similar style from another ‘60s film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

If the ‘60s had defined futuristic fashion, we would be seeing more skin-tight vinyl mini skirts and pops of Warhol pink. Star Wars was a turning point for science fiction fashion. Prior to Star Wars’ debut in the 70s, sci-fi TV and films were all styled in Cardin’s bubbly Space Age aesthetic.

Take a look at the following stills from Star Wars IV: A New Hope.

Ignore the insta-esque filters and notice how the style has completely changed. The colors are more muted and there’s a larger emphasis on drapery. Note how Luke and Leia wear garments of similar lengths and silhouettes. Star Wars drew inspiration from “foreign” non-Western styles, following examples set by the Japanese avant-garde movement. Melissa Alvarez, a curator at the Museum at FIT, writes:

“Characteristics such as layering, a loose voluminous fit, wide sleeves and the use of fine silks printed with nature motifs, were elements of traditional Japanese dress introduced to western fashion by these earlier designers.”

The Japanese movement into the world of fashion coincided with the release of Star Wars when Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto first showed their designs at Paris Fashion Week. Here are some examples of their work.

Take a look at this still from the latest Star Wars episode, The Force Awakens. Don’t worry, no spoilers here.

If Rey were wearing a ’60s Cardin Space Age suit, she probably wouldn’t have escaped this explosion. In all seriousness, Rey’s costume heavily reflects the Japanese avant-garde aesthetic described above. You’ll notice that her clothing is maximized for change and variability. The same garment works even when she’s riding in the wind.

Star Wars is also a great example of how fashion is influenced by popular culture. If you find yourself extra bored during the holiday season, go dig up promotional emails from your favorite stores. There’s no coincidence that nearly every retailer has delved deep into the galactic space theme. Here are a few I found.

Bloomingdales even partnered with Disney to create a special collection of Star Wars-inspired garments to benefit the Child Mind Institute. Designers took inspiration from various characters from The Force Awakens. Here are some of my favorites. Try to guess which character inspired each look 🤔

Fashion influenced Star Wars and vice-versa. The styling of Star Wars changed the course for the future of fashion, inspiring designers to think and experiment differently. To close, I’ll leave you with a picture of these amazing heels by Irregular Choice.

That’s all 💁.

Sources

• When the West Wore East by Melissa Marra-Alvarez
• How Star Wars Changed the Way We Dress

3. Is that made out of Chewbacca fur? was originally published in 52 Weeks of Fashion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I asked a random selection of friends “What is a fashion show?” and crafted a less than 💯 definition…

Fashion shows consist of beautiful giants in designer clothing (with or without wings) strutting up and down a runway in uncomfortable shoes.

Even Google’s response to “What is a fashion show?” is less than stellar, composed primarily of Victoria’s Secret propaganda 😰.

I would define the runway as a stage for storytelling. The first look acts as the introduction and sets the tone for the rest of the show. Take the first look of Alexander Wang’s Fall 2014 show for example…

You’ll see the same silhouettes appear again-and-again in the remainder of the collection. The first look hints at what is to come without giving away the plot. The following photos are in chronological order, so take note of how the looks build in complexity and color.

Now, brace yourself, and watch and listen to the first few minutes of his show.

😱 I hope you felt stressed out. I was definitely biting my nails the entire time. As you can see, the still snapshot of Wang’s first look did not capture the seizure-inducing light show or the static noise soundtrack, which goes to show how the atmosphere and movement of fashion shows are as important as the clothing themselves.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have designers like Kate and Laura Mulleavy who head the brand Rodarte. Similar to Wang, they use flashing lights and music as the prelude to the first look. However, the tone they set is completely different. Just watch and listen to the first minute.

Ok, enough about setting the scene, let’s jump back to the storytelling aspect of the runway. In comparison to the previous designers, Alexander McQueen took storytelling to a completely different level. In McQueen’s Spring 2001 show titled VOSS, he designed a world where models were trapped in a cubed insane asylum encompassed by 2-way mirrors. Before the show started, the audience was forced to watch their own reflections for an hour.

In McQueen’s words, “the idea was to turn people’s faces on themselves. I wanted to turn it around and make them think, am I actually as good as what I’m looking at?” His work frequently questioned the conventional definition of beauty.

Watch a lil bit of this to get a sense of the chaotic world McQueen created. The models sported hospital-like bandages around their heads and wandered without any clear direction.

McQueen’s criticism of beauty also trickles into specific works throughout the show. The bodice of this dress is made from lab specimen slides dyed red in order to give the idea of blood lying underneath. McQueen explains that “there’s blood beneath every layer of skin.”

The dress below is crafted from razor-clam shells McQueen found on a beach. McQueen was frequently inspired by nature and created garments from unconventional materials. In his words, “The shells had outlived their usefulness on the beach, so we put them to another use on a dress. Then Erin [O’Conner] came out and trashed the dress, so their usefulness was over once again. Kind of like fashion, really.”

The finale of this show is the most controversial. Just a warning 🚨 that this clip is a little jarring, and might be a little nsfw.

You can interpret the finale as you wish, but McQueen describes his intentions:

“These beautiful models were walking around in the room, and then suddenly this woman who wouldn’t be considered beautiful was revealed. It was about trying to trap something that wasn’t conventionally beautiful to show that beauty comes from within.”

The important thing to remember is that all fashion designers have unique styles of presentation. The runway isn’t limited to a single-lane track. Fashion shows should make you think about more than just the clothing. I think Raf Simons says it best:

“If I see a fashion show with literal influences, it doesn’t make me think any more. It doesn’t make me dream.”

That’s all 💁.

Keep an eye out for the Force ☄ next week 😉.

Bonus material

• Michelle Olley’s VOSS Diary Entries

Sources

• Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty at the Met
• Vogue’s review of VOSS

2. Once Upon a Runway was originally published in 52 Weeks of Fashion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Here’s me posing as a housewife holding a cute window cleaner.

✋ Pause for a second, and take another look.

What was your reaction when it turned out to be my phone case? Most commonly, I’m asked, “Does it fit in your pocket?” My canned response is “I don’t wear pants, so I don’t even have pockets ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.” This is predictably followed by, “but… isn’t it impractical?” I proceed to roll my eyes 🙄, and go on a tangent about Moschino’s Spring 2016 collection. I’m then greeted with a blank stare 😳, so instead I reference the following scene from the Devil Wears Prada…

I love this phone case. Yes, it is a bit overwhelming, but it’s a great conversation starter, and adds a sense of humor to my #ootd’s. Why does it matter to you that my phone case is ridiculous? It’s not like you have to put my phone in your pocket.

My love for fashion started in middle school when I would read the pages of Vogue from cover to cover. Growing up in Iowa, the outrageous editorials transported me to a world out of my reach. The world of fashion was my version of Hogwarts. I decorated the walls of my room with my favorite pages, and dreamt of the day I would rock a pair of 6-inch red-soled Louboutins 👠.

Fashion is my daily creative outlet. Artists do a sketch a day and musicians practice an hour a day. Fashion is the only form of art you see everyday. It’s constantly changing under your eyes, and most people don’t even notice it. In the Silicon Valley in particular, partially due to the lack of climate change, I’ve noticed that style is stagnant. Without wardrobe overhauls, the Valley almost ceases to age, and time passes faster.

Fashion is where culture, history, and expression mix. You don’t have to understand fashion, and just like art, fashion doesn’t have to be practical. It’s about making a statement. If fashion were simply clothing, these powerful runway moments would cease to exist…

Throughout this series, I’ll try my best to explain why fashion is much more than just sky high heels, J.Crew button-ups, and overpriced monogram handbags. And in Coco Chanel’s words:

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

That’s all 💁.

1. Why is fashion important? was originally published in 52 Weeks of Fashion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.