What a time to be alive. As a human race, it has been over 60 years since we first landed on the moon, and in the present day, we are preparing to go to Mars. With companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin running flight tests for space tourism, the possibility of exploring space as a civilian is quickly becoming a reality. President Trump has even announced a sixth branch of the military, the Space Force. Space has always fascinated us and captured our imagination as the final frontier, but now this trend seems to be apparent in fashion.
In one of the coolest runway shows of our generation, Chanel’s mock rocket launch during its 2017 Fall/Winter collection at the Grand Palais in Paris, reportedly costing more than a million dollars, surely ranks at the top. The masterful show was orchestrated by former Chanel Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld and set to the tune of “Rocket Man” by Elton John, of course. Before the grand finale, models wearing Chanel pieces inspired by outer space and astronauts marched around the stage and waited while fake sparks flew and exhaust filled the stage. RIP Karl Lagerfeld.
Alessandro Michelle’s Gucci Fall/Winter 2017 campaign was one trip down memory lane. He recruited Glen Luchford and sci-fi shows from the ’50s and ’60s, in particular Star Trek, to create a familiar yet strange world full of extraterrestrial creatures, dinosaurs, robots, and androids. The crew outfitted in top-to-bottom Gucci apparel (maximalist designs that include metallic fabrics and kaleidoscopic embroidery) and accessories aboard the USS Enterprise against the backdrop of the psychedelic landscape makes for a singularly surreal campaign. Just like every other Gucci campaign Michelle has overseen, it is over the top but just goes to show how prescient he is in formulating a campaign centered around space.
More recently for the Fall/Winter 2018 season, Jun Takahashi’s UNDERCOVER released a collection inspired by the cult classic 2001: A Space Odyssey with an Astro LED Down Puffer Coat that will set you back $2900. Not only does it come with space-themed logo patches and reflective lining, its shield hood lights up via LEDs and interior USB cable. Among its other astronaut ready pieces are a water-resistant Photo-Print Tech-Fabric Jacket ($1600) depicting Dr. David Bowman stepping through a spacecraft, Astronaut-Print Tech-Satin Coach’s Jacket ($945), and “Human Error” Space-Print Cotton Crewneck Sweatshirt ($640). This collection serves as a welcome reminder of the expansive, thought-provoking themes from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 monumental epic that are still relevant today.
Heron Preston collaborated with NASA for his Fall/Winter 2018 collection. Don’t be surprised since this is the man who pulled off a collaboration with the New York Department of Sanitation way back in 2016 and put Russian president Vladimir Putin on a T-shirt last year. Preston loves to focus on sustainability, so while the DSNY collaboration began from a plastic bag that he encountered while swimming in the Mediterranean, the NASA collaboration began as a fascination with space debris. The 31-piece collection makes prominent use of NASA’s “worm” logo used between 1976 and 1992. Since NASA is a government organization, Preston had to follow specific guidelines to be able to use the iconic logo on commercial apparel. The following are some pieces from the collection: High Tech Parka ($1895), Astronaut Denim Jacket ($805), NASA Hoodie ($556), NASA Crewneck ($518), Wide Leg Trousers ($977), and NASA Backpack ($1342). Preston first admitted that NASA was his dream collaboration in 2013 in an interview with The New York Times. To celebrate his collection, he sent up some of his NASA-branded apparel supported by a weather balloon 32 miles above the surface of the Earth and made a short film, “Above the Clouds,” with producer David Laven documenting the process, including meeting with NASA engineers. Now not even the sky is the limit for the multi-hyphenate, literally.
Mercer Amsterdam teamed up with NASA to release the Mercer W3RD NASA Apollo 11. The retail price of $295 might discourage some but since these were limited to 96 pairs, you have a chance to own a piece of history. The white low-tops are emblazoned with the NASA logo and the exact coordinates of the launch of the spaceflight mission that was the first to land people on the moon in 1969. Late last year, Mercer released the second iteration of its leather shoe, the Mercer W3RD 2.0 NASA Apollo 17 “Night Mission,” coming in black and taking its name from the last Apollo mission and first nocturnal manned rocket launch. NASA also collaborated with Anicorn on a limited release of only 60 watches. The watches were numbered and featured the NASA logo and GPS coordinates of the Kennedy Space Center.
Vans paid homage to NASA’s enduring legacy of space exploration in releasing a nostalgia-fueled “Space Voyager” collection featuring Vans’ most iconic models: Old Skool and the Sk8-Hi in men’s sizes, and Slip-On, Sk8-Hi MTE and Sk8-Hi Zip in toddler sizes. The shoes take on classic space suit colorways and include details such as removable NASA patches, NASA branding on the sides, and an exposed foam padding. Jackets, tees, and hoodies were also part of the collection. Maybe one day you will be able to skate in outer space with these special Vans.
Nike has previously released an Air Max 90 Moon Landing and the much sought after NikeCraft Mars Yard Shoe 2.0 Tom Sachs Space Camp. It is preparing to release both the Air Max 90 Mars Landing and the Tom Sachs Mars Yard Overshoe at a retail of $550. Tom Sachs first released the Mars Yard Overshoe in London last year and is now preparing for a global release in May 2019. The Overshoe is nicknamed the “March Yard” shoe because it is meant to be worn in cold, rainy conditions. NBA player Paul George’s basketball shoe, the Nike PG 3 NASA, drew inspiration from NASA’s Armstrong Building 703 in his hometown of Palmdale, California. The Oklahoma City Thunder small forward’s signature shoe features an orange mesh upper, embroidered USA flag, prominent NASA Apollo 14 logo, and red “Remove Before Flight” hangtag.
Other renowned designers and fashion houses such as Raf Simons, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Coach have been inspired by space for years. In our current sociopolitical climate, it is not surprising that there is an explosion of interest in space innovation and especially NASA with its outsize impact. NASA’s 60 years of innovation and exploration are not just limited to space but to fashion as well. NASA’s last space shuttle launch was in 2011 and although I assume a lot has been happening behind the scenes, it has mainly stayed in the public perception through the endeavors of private space agencies and fashion collaborations such as the ones listed above. Seeing a lot of NASA branded apparel on campus only confirms that enduring appeal to this generation and beyond. However, NASA is not the only party interested in fashion: Virgin Galactic recruited Yohji Yamamoto of adidas Y-3 to create its space suits. Even Buzz Aldrin and Bill Nye got in on the action when they walked the runway for the Nick Graham F/W 2017 show in NYC. Regardless, it is undeniable that space has a heavy influence on fashion these days and will likely continue as space becomes a normal part of our lives. The possibilities are endless. As a new Space Age dawns, remember to dress to impress, even off this Pale Blue Dot.
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