People have always speculated about what the future might hold. If life imitates art – and art in this case is “Back to the Future: Part 2″ — then in four years we can expect flying cars, re-hydradable mini pizzas and hover boards. Okay, so those things might not be so far off, but fashion is a little harder to predict, for it is not linear and often references the past. I wonder if Pierre Cardin was surprised that his vertically-striped bodysuits and helmets didn’t catch on 40 years after he created them?
Pierre Cardin was ahead of his time in the 1960s. Much like contemporary designers of the now, Gareth Pugh and Alexander McQueen. But, as funny as we may think the retro designs are, there are some similarities between those fashions and the designs of today. Which either means designers in the 1960s were onto something, or, more likely, contemporary designers are giving a nod to those space-age designs of the past. I guess it’s not a stretch to say that Pierre Cardin was aware of fashion’s fondness for the past and probably knew that one day his designs would become a reality, if only as historical inspiration.
Just take a look at these two dresses from Hussein Chalayan’s Spring/Summer 2007 collection and the mirrored mosaic dresses in this trippy 1960s fashion video. They are practically one in the same. But the innovations in Hussein’s collection are the technology and materials used. No more polyester! And so, fashion moves forward without forgetting the past.
But, really, who thought the radio helmet would catch on?
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