week 9

Black Milk Clothing

Space has found its own market in the fashion industry. When I worked in retail in 2011, I noticed a growing trend in “galaxy print” clothes and the trend hasn’t subsided since. From off the rack and casual dresses to couture gowns, space is well loved in textile form. Valentino’s Pre-Fall 2015 collection is the most recent example of space fashion, with its gowns taking on less NASA HQ image look and more of a childhood-evoking representation of the stars and planets.

Valentino Pre-Fall 2015

More than just capitalizing on the look of space, fashion has drawn inspiration from a time period Dr. Vesna spends much of her lecture discussing – the Space Race. Designer André Courrèges’ work was influenced greatly by the American and Soviet sprint to the stars, which was in full swing during the height of Courrèges' career. The designer used clean lines and geometric shapes paired with helmit-like hats and goggle-like glasses to evoke the future of humanity post-space exploration and even titled one of his collections “Moon Girl.” His work continues to influence both runway and street style today with its wholly 1960’s look.

André Courrèges

But space fashion is not simply exclusive to Earth. Recent advancements in what people wear in space have led to better-dressed astronauts than the bulky white and fishbowl helmeted suits of yesterday. Space suit designers such as the brand Orbital Outfitters have begun work on fashionable and practical suits in the hopes of one day cashing in on commercial space travel. On the other hand, NASA has also created more aesthetically pleasing space suits, but theirs are more concerned with technological advancements and safety of their astronauts rather than sartorial concerns. Future suits, like the one pictured below, expect space travellers to use bioluminescence-esque lights to ensure ease when mining and inspecting minerals on other planets. The suits are also designed to ensure easier and more fluid movement from the wearer.

NASA Mock Up

Space and fashion go hand in hand, be it the look of space, the look of the future, or the look of space travel.

Alston, Gary. "“ANDRE COURREGES – THE COUTURE’S SPACE CAPTAIN." HOUSE OF RETRO. N.p., 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://houseofretro.com/index.php/2013/04/17/andre-courreges-the-coutures-space-captain/>.

Maggs, Sam. "Beautiful Space Dresses Are the Star of Valentino’s Pre-Fall 2015 Collection." The Mary Sue. N.p., 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.themarysue.com/valentino-space-dresses/>.

Pierce, Lenny. "Space Fashion: NASA’s Latest Styles in the Astro Apparel of Tomorrow | Nerdist." Nerdist. Nerdist Industries, 01 Apr. 2014. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://nerdist.com/space-fashion-nasas-latest-styles-in-the-astro-apparel-of-tomorrow/>.

Ramzi, Lilah. "Back to the Future With ’60s Space-Age Chic." Vogue. Condé Nast Digital, 1 Aug. 2014. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.vogue.com/946311/60s-space-age-fashion/>.

Steere, Mike. "Blending Safety with Sexy: Space Fashion Is Here." CNN. Cable News Network, 9 Oct. 2008. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/09/space.fashion/index.html?eref=rss_tech>.