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10 Times Futuristic Fashion Truly Reached For The Stars

Photo Credit: Silver Screen Collection/ Getty Images and Catwalking/ Getty Images
Photo Credit: Silver Screen Collection/ Getty Images and Catwalking/ Getty Images

The Space Race of the 1960s was inspiring to millions of people worldwide — including some of the decades hottest fashion designers. The moon landing of 1969 became the inspiration that rocket-launched a new wave of fashion. Futuristic fashion trends inspired by space exploration were now hitting the catwalks and clothing racks throughout the world.

This futuristic trend hasn’t gone away, either. Instead, it has remained popular with fashion designers even today. The more we learn about space, the more space becomes reflected in the clothes we wear.

Women modelling futuristic fashion
Women wearing what they believe will be in style in the year 2000, circa 1965.
(Photo Credit: Hulton Archive/ Getty Images)

1. Modern Headwear for Stewardesses

Emilio Pucci design 1965
Outfit design for stewardesses by Emilio Pucci, 1965. (Photo Credit: Bettmann/ Getty Images)

This plastic helmet was designed by Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci for Braniff Airways in the 1960s. This plastic bubble was created to protect the hairdos of stewardesses on windy tarmacs, but it had a very futuristic feel to it.

2. Jane Fonda as Barbarella

Jane Fonda in Barbarella, 1968
Jane Fonda in the 1968 movie “Barbarella.” (Photo Credit: Silver Screen Collection/ Getty Images)

The space race didn’t just infiltrate its way into fashion, but also virtually every single facet of American society.

The 1968 space film Barbarella starring Jane Fonda exemplified this new obsession with all things intergalactic and set the standard for futuristic fashion. Barbarella showcases different costumes made of chain mail, molded plastic, and feathers — all of which became staple looks on the runways.

3. Paco Rabanne

Model wearing a minidress by Paco Rabanne
Model wearing a mini-dress made of aluminum discs, designed by Paco Rabanne, circa 1968. (Photo Credit: Keystone/ Getty Images)

Paco Rabanne was one of the most notable futuristic fashion designers of the 1960s and 1970s. Paco Rabanne specialized in metal couture to give his clothing to futuristic look he was going for.

He was known for creating chain-mail mini shift dresses and matching headgear that made models look like fleets of armored aliens. Rabanne also helped design the futuristic costumes worn by Jane Fonda in Barbarella.

Jackie Bowyer modelling one of Paco Rabanne's creations, 1967.
Jackie Bowyer modeling one of Paco Rabanne’s metal outfits, circa 1967. (Photo Credit: Peter King/ Stringer/ Getty Images)

4. Thierry Mugler

Thierry Mugler, 1979 winter collection
Thierry Mugler’s 1979 futuristic winter collection. (Photo Credit: Daniel Simon/ Getty Images)

Thierry Mugler is a fashion designer known for his otherworldly themes. From his 1979 futuristic collection (above) to his 1995 full-body robotic armor (below), Thierry Mugler is known for creating fashion out of this world.

Throughout the decades, his designs have been worn by celebrities, including Diana Ross, Lady Gaga, and most recently, Cardi B.

Model wearing an outfit designed by Thierry Mugler
Model wearing a futuristic design by Thierry Mugler from his 1995 collection. (Photo Credit: Pierre VAUTHEY/ Getty Images)

5. Andre Courreges

Model wearing a design by Andre Courreges
Model wearing a design created by Andre Courreges in Kyoto, April 1993. (Photo Credit: Kurita Kaku/ Getty Images)

Andre Courreges is better known as the father of space-age fashion. He was the first design to bring the space race to the catwalk.

Courreges is largely credited with popularizing both mini-skirts and go-go boots in the 1960s — both a result of some of his original futuristic designs. Courreges demonstrated such an interest in the future and space travel that he actually received an invitation from NASA to visit Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Andre Courreges getting ready for a show, 1994
Andre Courreges (left) standing next to a model wearing one of his designs (center). Circa 1994. (Photo Credit: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/ Getty Images)

6. Pierre Cardin

Model wearing Pierre Cardin outfit, 1968
Model wearing an outfit designed by Pierre Cardin, circa 1968. (Photo Credit: Keystone/ Stringer/ Getty Images)

Pierre Cardin is another French fashion designer who took inspiration from the moon landings. In fact, his 1969 show titled “Space Age and Futurism” showcased clothes featured shiny capes and dresses with rocket-style flaring at the hem.

Cardin was also given a tour of NASA and supposedly became the first civilian in the world to try on Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit. Cardin went on to create his own rendition of a spacesuit for NASA and has been quoted saying he dreams of having a house on the moon one day.

Pierre Cardin in Giza
Pierre Cardin (front) with models in Giza, circa 1992. (Photo Credit: Frederic Neema/ Getty Images)

7. Givenchy, 1999 collection

Givenchy, 1999
Givenchy collection, 1999. (Photo Credit: Pierre VAUTHEY/ Getty Images)

Givenchy’s autumn/winter 1999 collection featured Alexander McQueen’s take on an uncertain future on the eve of Y2K.

Models strutted down the runway wearing an array of clothing featuring elaborate, metallic circuit-board patterned designs. This collection really emphasized the “future” in “futuristic.”

Model wearing a Givenchy design, 1999
Model wearing a Givenchy design, 1999 fashion show. (Photo Credit: Pool SIMONS/ STEVENS/ Getty Images)

8. Hussein Chalayan, 2007 Collection

Model wearing a design by Hussein Chalayan
Model wearing a design created by Hussein Chalayan for his 2007 Spring/Summer collection. (Photo Credit: PIERRE VERDY/ Getty Images)

Fashion designer Hussein Chalayan found himself preoccupied with futurism and technology while designing his 2007 line.

During his spring/summer show, he worked with the same technological team who worked on the special effects for the Harry Potter films to bring his clothing designs alive. These designs mimic the 1960s designs of Paco Rabanne (see above), but they also brought futuristic elements of technology into his clothing.

Model wearing a design by Hussein Chalayan, 2007
Model wearing a design by Hussein Chalayan for his 2007 Fall/Winter collection. (Photo Credit: Michelle Leung/ Getty Images)

9. Moschino, 2018 Collection

Three models at Moschino's fashion show, 2018
Moschino took a futuristic approach in their 2018 fashion show in Milan, Italy. (Photo Credit: Catwalking/ Getty Images)

Moschino’s 2018 Fall collection looked both to the past and to the future with its 1960s inspired line.

The line featured colorful matching skirt suits, similar to the ones popular in the 1960s. The kicker? Many of the models wearing these designs were painted different colors to look like out-of-this-world Martians.

This line was a nod to the space race of the past and a nod to the unknown.

10. Balmain, 2021–2022 Collection

Model wearing a Balmain design
Model wearing a design from the 2021-2022 Balmain Fall/Winter collection. (Photo Credit: Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

One of the most recent fashion shows of this year also had a distinctly futuristic element to it. This year, the Balmain Fall-Winter 2021-2022 collection shown at Paris Fashion Week told its viewers a story of escape.

Model wearing a Balmain design.
Model wearing a design from the 2021-2022 Balmain Fall/Winter collection. (Photo Credit: Kristy Sparow / Getty Images)

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Maybe the inspiration from this line was pulled from the COVID-19 pandemic and the idea of escaping to outer space to get away from everything here on Earth. It’s an appealing thought.

Nonetheless, the designs that appeared in this show featured iridescent clothing similar to astronauts’ spacesuits.

Madeline Hiltz

Madeline Hiltz is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News