Cyberpunk, as a design trend, has risen and fallen in popularity since its first popularity spike in the 1980s. It combines Transhumanism, social commentary, punk, and futuristic technology into one style. This mix gives it ardent fans. As real dates converged with sci-fi worlds, futurism has bled into fashion designs that have graced various catwalks.
A wellspring of light
The novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick, kickstarted the cyberpunk genre with its release in 1968. Fourteen years later, Blade Runner translated the story to film, which pushed it into the mainstream. This adaptation also gave the genre a visual template that others could follow. Michael Kaplan, the head costume designer, described how they sourced inspiration:
After reading the script, we definitely felt that Blade Runner was of that film noir genre, and we looked back to the films of the 1940s for inspiration. Deckard (Harrison Ford’s character) was as much a Gumshoe as Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart). For Rachel’s character, our chief inspirations were the tailored suits that Adrian designed in the late 1930s and early 40s.
