Stephen Hawking (RIP!) once said that he doesn’t think “the human race will survive the next thousand years unless we spread into space.” Whether or not the human race is technologically, spiritually, or emotionally ready to leave our rock might not matter, because the designers at Paris Fashion Week seem eager to prove we’re at least sartorially prepared. Dress for the planet you want or something.
Designers so far showed Spring/Summer 2024 collections with big geometric patterns and space-blanket-esque fabrics. Colors were bright and neon, and silhouettes were structured into gravity-defying and extraterrestrial-like shapes. There were lots of metal flourishes, at least one literal space helmet, and plenty of squeals from my inner 11-year-old who’s just learned that, in 22 years, wearing her lime green inflatable chair will be considered high fashion. (And there are still four days left of shows!)
Even designers who clearly weren’t going for Supernova-Girlcore (lol sorry) showed collections that could easily outfit anyone in Dune, Star Wars, Star Trek, or The Jetsons. The vibes are very galactic, is my point. But after a few seasons and a couple of years of the goddamn “quiet luxury” trend that has everyone drowning themselves in brain-numbing, yawn-inducing neutrals, it’s really sweet to see some shit that isn’t so fucking boring. (No matter how kitschy, campy, or...out of this world ;)...it is.)
“There is that thing in fashion where happiness is not the right word, because everybody feels like you’re so superficial,” Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of Balmain, told the New York Times of this season’s maximalism. “But what is wrong about being happy? What is wrong with wanting to spread joy?” Absolutely nothing! This is exactly the attitude we should have if humanity ever spreads into space.
Click through for all the looks that have us “caught up in a planetary world.”
