Quantum Leap: 15 Moments that Moved Fashion Forward
From 3D printed dresses to Hollywood’s most notable films, we look back at the greatest influences of the last century that forever altered our dressing habits — and what we see on the catwalk
The fashion industry as a whole has always been built on a foundation of divining what’s next, forecasting not just what the world will be wearing in six months’ time but also acting as a vessel for a creative hive that indicates what direction the world is heading in. We revisit the epoch-making work of trailblazers who had an uncanny ability to turn their futuristic creative dreams into our reality.
Anrealage’s UV Allure
For the presentation of Anrealage’s Autumn/Winter 23 collection, a bar of ultraviolet light was lowered before the models on the runway. The light beams instantly ignited mesmerising chromatic patterns on their initially all-white clothing. The use of cutting-edge technology, such as heat-reactive fabrics, has become a trademark of the brand’s designer Kunihiko Morinaga.
Barbarella
Paco Rabanne’s avant-garde designs inspired the costumes for the 1968 cult film, Barbarella, starring Jane Fonda. His use of body moulds, metal and other unconventional materials was a departure from what had been seen in fashion up until that point. The movie’s iconic costumes are now etched into both cinematic and sartorial history.
Alexander McQueen & Shalom Harlow
Alexander McQueen left his audience transfixed when he closed No. 13, his Spring/Summer 99 runway show, with two menacing robots aggressively spray painting a white tulle dress worn by model Shalom Harlow as she stood between them on a revolving turntable. This provocative stunt was a milestone – and the harbinger of fashion shows as spectacle.
The Fifth Element
The futuristic Jean Paul Gaultier-designed costumes donned by supermodel and actor, Milla Jovovich in the 1997 science-fiction film, The Fifth Element showcase the designer’s boundless imagination. This radical, ‘bandage’ white bodysuit became synonymous with Milla’s iconic supernatural character. The design underscores the storytelling power of fashion both on and off the silver screen.
Alexander McQueen’s Plato’s Atlantis
The Spring/Summer 10 show, the designer’s last before his death, was a comment on Earth’s doomed fate and rising sea levels as a consequence of climate change. From 3D-printed dresses to prosthetic make-up and futuristic 12-inch high ‘armadillo’ heels – the fashion was ahead of its time. Plato’s Atlantis was the first catwalk presentation to be live-streamed, which instantly democratised the concept of the fashion show – forever making it accessible to the masses.
Hussein Chalayan’s Table Dress
In being both conceptual and sculptural, designer Hussein Chalayan’s innovative shape-shifting dress invites a new way of thinking about clothing. By combining a table with a skirt – or furniture with fashion – he created a visual in-between space never before explored. A piece of wearable art, it is a masterpiece of craftsmanship that defies the preconceived ‘rules’ of both dress-making and furniture design.
Coperni’s Spray-On Dress
Minimalist French fashion brand Coperni created a viral fashion moment for the finale of its Spring/Summer 23 show. The designers had supermodel Bella Hadid stand still on the runway as two people spray-painted a dress onto her body in real time. The garment was created with Fabrican – a patented spray-on fabric designed at the London Bioscience Innovation Centre. The material is fully recyclable as it can be washed, reused and even dissolved for re-spraying.
Pierre Cardin
In the 1960s, one man was at the forefront of the Space Age fashion movement – Pierre Cardin. Almost overnight he transformed the fashion conversation with his short tunic dresses, his introduction of state-of-the-art fabrics like vinyl or heat-treated materials that would hold the shape of geometric forms, and his use of unexpected accessories like helmets and oversized sunglasses. He also revolutionised fashion by licensing his name and starting the era of mass production of women’s designer ready-to-wear.
McQueen For Givenchy
For his Givenchy Autumn/Winter 99 Fin de Siècle collection, Alexander McQueen created glow-in-the-dark pieces and shirts made out of circuit boards complete with battery-powered flashing LED lights. The show began with laser beams flashing and robot-looking models walking down a mirrored runway. The designer sought to showcase how he imagined the future of fashion to be, and it was not a reassuring vision.
The Matrix
The sci-fi blockbuster action film, The Matrix created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski was not only revolutionary for its use of never-before-seen visual effects but also for its uber-modern fashion. From skinny sunglasses to all-black leather outfits, the film’s costumes have inspired a slew of designers over the years including John Galliano, Alexander Wang, Vera Wang and Demna Gvasalia.
The Kate Moss Hologram
For the finale of his Autumn/Winter 2006 Widows of Culloden show Alexander McQueen projected a hologram of supermodel Kate Moss wearing a billowing white chiffon gown – an ethereal image that is still engrained in the public consciousness to this day. Although a 19th-century theatre technique, known as ‘Pepper’s Ghost’ was used, it was a technological feat to ensure that the hologram was visible from all sides, a full 360-degrees.
Tina Turner in Mad Max
In 1985, iconic singer Tina Turner also became a seminal sartorial character when she played the role of villainess Aunty Entity in the film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Not only was her acting memorable, but the movie itself was beyond its time. Its post-apocalyptic theme, along with its visual effects, still continues to be referenced and has inspired a multitude of films and fashion designers to this day.
Princess Leila in Star Wars
In 1977, when the Rebel Alliance’s greatest leader, Princess Leia Organa, first walked into frame in the film Star Wars, a whole generation of boys and girls took notice. At a time when fashion was all about short, fitted looks, here was a powerful woman wearing modest clothing taking on the entire Galactic Empire, and looking fierce while doing it.
Sailor Moon
The Japanese manga series Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi is known all over the world for its futuristic design and animated storytelling. Outside of the manga’s narrative, the real-world superpower of the main character is her ability to inspire generations of fashion lovers, even sparking a collaboration with Jimmy Choo earlier this year, complete with holographic shoe boxes.
3-D Printed Dresses
The 3D-printing machines have been around since the 1980s, but in 2013, the first ever completely 3D printed dress was created by Michael Schimdt and Francis Bitonti. Since then, 3D printers have become a common tool used by many designers, most notably Iris van Herpen, to bring their fashionable creations to life. Now, 3D-printed dresses can be spotted at red-carpet galas, in a myriad of fashion shows and can even be purchased in stores.
From the Harper’s Bazaar Arabia: The Future. Pick up your copy with our June 2023 issue, on stands now.
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