By: Joseph Gleasure [ Instagram | Tumblr ] and XEONIQ [ Instagram | Tumblr ]
Introduction
Cyberpunk as a genre, an aesthetic, and the media that represents it has long been an inspiration for fashion designers. In this article, a series of runway shows and collections by various designers is presented in chronological order. This curation is by no means comprehensive but it does highlight several of the well-known shows and designers who have been inspired by some aspect of the cyberpunk genre in their work.
Thierry Mugler | A/W 1990 & S/S 1991
While Gaultier gets the credit for one of the most iconic technology-based collections designers like Mugler had been referencing Sci-Fi and cyberpunk themes earlier than 1995; most famously his A/W 1990 H.R. Giger Jacket and later for Spring 1991 Intricately molded jackets and body suits alongside skintight latex pants and futuristic cut out pieces.
Jean Paul Gaultier | A/W 1995 “CYBER”
Jean Paul Gaultier’s Autumn/Winter 1995 collection was one of the first runway collections to grasp the importance of technology to fashion. It featured ensembles that reference club culture, BDSM, science fiction, and computers. It was also during this period where JPG would do the costuming for The Fifth Element (1997).
20471120 | S/S 1998 “Yikes”
20471120 was a Japanese brand that grew out of the Urahara scene of the 1990s, and while not strictly cyberpunk, they often drew on dystopian sci-fi references, with their own name a reference to a fictional doomsday date envisioned by their founder. S/S 1998’s Yikes exemplifies the brand’s cyberpunk references.
Dior | A/W 1999
Debuting a mere 4 month after the release of The Matrix (1999) this runway collection drew heavily from the film and helped cement “the matrix look” in the cultural consciousness.
Julius_7 | 2009-2014
Julius_7 in the early to mid 2010s was one of the most sought after avantgarde brands. While the current brand is a shadow of its former burnt out gothic aesthetic the collections the brand released from roughly 2009-2014 are some of the most iconic dystopian cyberpunk inspired runways of all time.
Alexander McQueen | S/S 2011
Ever the showman McQueen’s Spring 2010 show channeled futuristic silhouettes and his famous H.R. Giger inspired heels alongside breathtaking sculptural dresses featuring detailed prints of fictional animals.
Gareth Pugh | A/W 2011
A staple of millennial’s blogs and Pinterest boards for the last decade is the now iconic Autumn/Winter 2011 collection by Gareth Pugh that featured black geometrically constructed dresses and jackets, asymmetrically constructed leather garments and flowing gowns that as Tim Blanks hinted at in his vogue review at the time resemble some kind of avant garde priest caste.
Rick Owens | A/W 2014 “Moody”
While Rick Owens has flirted with technology and the future, Autumn Winter 2014’s Moody was something of a more overt reference. The runway was full of bizarrely shaped headwear, leather tunics that resembled some kind of alien armor, and of course the extremely sought after Nagakin Leather Leggings.
BLACKMERLE | 2016-2019
Boris Bildjan Saberi | A/W 2016 Menswear
One of the most innovative designers when it comes to Leather Boris Bidjan Saberi’s Autumn 2016 collection transposed the idea of a parachute into his signature leather treatments. Creating a series of futuristic statement pieces in various shades of grey.
Raf Simons | S/S 2018
Raf Simons Spring/summer 2018 Collection channeled the neon filled haze of Blade Runner and featured animated LED signs adorned some of the models, reading REPLICANT and various phrases in Japanese.
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