Sunday, January 4, 2009

OBSESSION: Futurism




With 2008 officially at the back of the closet, it is time to look forward in fashion. Spring 2009 swings in with a futurist’s perspective. Ready-to-wear giants such as Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga’s Nichols Ghesiquiere see the world in glided shades of shimmery platinum. McQueen’s dynamic collection features an exaggerated hourglass dress dipped in black crystals. The space aged silhouettes and fractured crystal patterns give off a Barbarella-meets-Jane-Jetson feel.




Selma Hayek describes Balenciaga’s spring 2009 collection as: “A new race of humans, a Balenciaga race.” Ghesiquiere let iridescent pale hues of fabric overflow onto the standard Cristobel Balenciaga corset. Mod, anthropoid platform heels dissolved into stocking, giving the models futuristic appendages. Ghesiquiere also introduced metallic, color-block jackets with armadillo-like sleeves.

Newcomer Gareth Pugh joins the ranks by evoking sci-fi style in his stark, black-and-white collection. Pugh contrasts classic Victorian collars with sleek armored shoulder pads. His architectural skirts feature sharp arcs that jut out like the folds of the Sydney opera house. Pugh creates an army of couture space age fantasy.