By Paloma González
Futuristic films are a way of imagining what awaits us in 20, 30 or 100 years, they show us scenarios in which The world has been through great disasters, in which technology has advanced in an impressive (and sometimes uncontrolled) way, and in which the clothes we wear every day have to adjust to the needs of their new context.
We can't really predict the future or know if we're really going to dress you up as the Jetsons or Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element, we also don't know if we're going to have vacations on Mars or if a human-like robot could replace everyone jobs, but it's clear that fashion moves on and changes, and the most popular looks may not be exactly what we wear today.
Sci-fi movies about the future always, or almost always, tell us about the collapse of society and technological advances, but just as important as their fatalistic stories and the apocalyptic consequences they propose, are the costumes that the creators choose to tell the stories of each of the characters.
50 years ago no one would have thought that a phone could be smart or that sneakers would take place in the office, but perhaps they also didn't think that the changes in fashion wouldn't be as radical as many groundbreaking movies (like some that brought us into space before Elon Musk said we could all do it one day) they proposed. When it comes to future fashion, everything is really possible, but are there any movies with predictions that can serve as a guide?
Here are some futuristic movies and their predictions about the trends we are all going to wear in the future:
Andrew Niccol's 1997 film proposed a scenario in which humans found a way to "correct" imperfections from before the birth of children, leading to the creation of superhumans who are more resilient, stronger and perfect than the "natural children."
In that world we meet Ethan Hawke, a man who didn't have to receive corrections and who must fight against the system to fulfill his dream of reaching space. How does he do it? Changing his appearance to look like one of the enhanced humans, and he does this by wearing 1930s-inspired suits, button-down shirts, and tight-fitting garments. This film proposes that in the future we will not wear super-tech fabrics, reflective clothing or astronaut suits, but instead go back to the classics for a sleek, retro look that contrasts with technological advances.
Are the machines going to destroy us? It is possible and if that happens we will need special clothes. The Wachowski sisters' 1999 film is one of the great science fiction classics and one of the most influential films in history, we can even see how Neo and Trinity's looks in the "waking" world have inspired many others of the futuristic films.
But here there are two possibilities, either we are going to live with torn, dirty and patched clothes (because for some reason we are not going to have access to as many options), or we are going to wear clothes that combine the utilitarian with a cool and almost robotic, like floor-length coats, perfectly constructed black suits, and patent leather garments (as in the case of Trinity).
Her, by Spike Jonez, presents looks with a slight inspiration from the 70s and a color palette that reflects the loneliness and nostalgia of its protagonist, while The Truman Show, by Peter Weir, focuses on creating a surrealist fantasy complete with vintage style sweaters, suits and basics that are meant to contrast with the craziness that is really going on and the idea that privacy is over and what we have is just an illusion of normalcy.
Some scenarios are more fatalistic than others, and for that we need more protective clothing. In the case of Mad Max, the 1979 version, we can see a lonely man who wears a fur jacket for his travels through a devastated Australia. The looks have a dystopian and dusty glam rock style, but with the purpose of protecting each person from the elements and the sun.
Undoubtedly, fashion should respond to the needs of the time, but Mad Max shows us that we don't necessarily have to wear work clothes, some classics like the leather biker jacket could cover the basics.
Much further into the future, in a world where humans live underground as a result of a virus that destroyed humanity, we have Terry's 12 Monkeys Gilliam, who shows us a reality where the main purpose of clothing is protection, so we can see see-through suits, lab coats, and prison uniforms.
The film makes a contrast by taking its hero back in time (where he trades in his futuristic look for chinos, tshirts, and jackets), but its take on post-disaster fashion shows that the clothes won't exactly be luxury, but a Basic necessity that will be covered with anything that is at hand, from a protective plastic bag, to a pair of sunglasses with a few magnifying glasses included to analyze the surface.
The past and the future are more connected than we think, and what we have and do today can be repeated at any time. Blade Runner takes place against a highly technological, neo-noir, punk-infused backdrop, and while there are some crazy costumes (like Daryl Hannah's), there are also influences from different decades from the '40s to the '80s. Rachel, for one. , appears wearing a classic suit with shoulder pads, while Rick Deckard wears a plaid shirt, a tie and a coat with enough pockets to store everything he needs.
For its part, Blade Runner 2049 makes one of the best fashion predictions by showing Ryan Gosling wearing a leather jacket that is actually completely vegan.
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