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Fashion Loves Scifi, But Scifi Hates Fashion
San Francisco, 7:47 PM
Thu Dec 17
28 posts in the last 24 hours
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Fashion Loves Scifi, But Scifi Hates Fashion |
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07/05/09
I've always liked the art direction of 40k. Although I loathe to call the uniforms and armors as "fashion". The "40k Imperial Gothic" look totally kicks ass.
07/02/09
I like creativity in my SF, and that should extend to the costumes. I shouldn't be able to relate to the characters b/c they're dressed like me, I should be able to relate to them b/c they are being written/portrayed by humans.
I want some future in my future.
Get fashion designers or people from Costume-Con.
07/02/09
I agree with previous posters who mentioned Firefly and TSCC. I would also suggest that although the Doctor and his companions are usually normally dressed, we've seen some wonderful costuming on other alien races. A couple years old, but "The End of the World" particularly springs to mind. The new Trek movie also pulled out some of the old costuming trends, particularly with regard to the Starfleet Academy uniforms.
Also, I was watching some old TNGs and if I have to choose between Katee Sackhoff and Tahmoh Penikett in tank tops and Tricia Helfer in a ridiculously bombshell dress or watching Q and his very prominent moose knuckle, I think it's pretty obvious what I'm going to pick.
The moose knuckle. I pick the moose knuckle.
07/02/09
big fashion is big business just a zillion other companies who are there to get your wallet.
good scifi does not need to have crazy costumes.good scifi needs to be intelligent, new, and fresh
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07/02/09
1) you're confusing the entertainment industry with the fashion industry
The entertainers (such as the singers you've shown) have always been over the top in costume design, as needed for stage presence. A few silver space girl costumes for stage does not mean fashion loves scifi. Costume design for entertainers is very different from the overall fashion industry. The fashion industry isn't going to be cranking out metal bikinis for retail stores. Any extreme clothing made is for entertainers or couture use.
In addition, neither fashion nor costume design has really been sci-fi or pretending to embrace it. At best they're just doing a variation of the 50-70s sexy space girl thing: bustiers and miniskirts. That's pretty ho-hum to me. They're just recycling and they're not actually envisioning how clothing would change in a sci-fi future. They're just reiterating classic sexist stereotypes of women in sci-fi. In a bubble-world, they're fun, sure. But I wouldn't expect people to be embracing them for obvious reasons. Like this is 2009, not 1959.
2) "it's all tank tops, business attire and military jumpsuits."
You're referencing people who are either government officials or on a military ship. how else are they supposed to dress? the whole point of the BSC reboot was that it was supposed to feel close to our own world. Silver unitards aren't going to cut it there. And did you forget about Six's wardrobe? That wasn't fashion+sci-fi enough for you?
3) "No more space babes with foil bikinis"
Really? really??? You want to go back to foil bikinis? Again, that's just recycling the same crap we've had since the sci-fi hit film. It's boring. It's been done. How about actual creative thinking regarding fashion trends 20, 50, 100, 1000 years from now?
How about projecting what cultural and gender role changes will occur and how that will change our dress habits?
How about projecting changes in textiles due to scientific advancement or a reduction of natural materials and how that will influence clothing?
Or what jobs will be necessary and what clothing will be needed to perform those jobs.
Now those things would be sci-fi ACTUALLY embracing fashion. ;) Gees, the textile advancements in the past few years alone is mind-blowing.
4) Scifi fashion has forgotten its roots"
Or maybe Sci-fi fashion has just GROWN UP. And realized that it's ridiculous to keep putting women who are supposed to be in positions of authority in see-through vinyl miniskirts. ;) Or putting grown men in spandex onesies. Or just gluing geometric shapes to clothing and calling it "spacey". ;)
Historically sci-fi has been a reflection of contemporary fears and cultural changes of the time. Sci-fi hasn't forgotten it's roots, it's just evolved as we have. And our fears and cultural issues aren't the same as they were in the 40s, 70s, etc.
4) Did you not watch any of the Sarah Connor Chronicles?
the fashion on that show was INSANELY amazing, it was just full of subtleties. seriously, I'm dying to know who made the clothes and I don't want to even think about the astronomical wardrobe budget they must've needed.
and check out some video games for some great sci-fi and post-apoc fashion. It appears that game creators have finally stopped referencing bad 80s music videos for clothing and instead have hired actual designers.
07/02/09
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07/02/09
Agree on alot of points here - I don't believe SciFi has "thrown aside camp for mainstream acceptance" Form follows function folks, and grrl hit it right on the head re: SciFi being informed by our own cultural experiences.
Each of the best examples of epic science fiction is successful for the same basic reasons that make any style of story telling successful - Create a reality, and stick to it.
And the more whimsical designs of many of these examples play by the rules because they're usually fantasies within those worlds - Chris Tucker is a celebrity in Bruce Willis' world so he gets to dress like a pinata. The slick leather getup in the Matrix is only the character's projections of themselves in the Matrix - their reality is dirty, grungy stuck-on-a-ship - something that movie shares with Battlestar.
And if red-dressed #6 vamping it up all sexy-like isn't great modern camp, I don't know what is!
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07/02/09
Nowadays, it's all t-shirts, jeans, and pantsuits... which the practical part of my mind thinks is far more likely, though I'd really love to be able to gaze 40 years into the future to see what the sci-fi garb of tomorrow really looks like.
I'm a firm believer in Vernor Vinge's predictions about wearable tech, so I expect in the future, our "classic" sci-fi will all look pretty silly because only a handful of people wear glasses/contacts (How are they supposed to access their computers?), they can't instantly communicate with eachother (oh look, hand-held communicators! How quaint!), and humans engage in direct physical conflict with one another. (Why the hell don't they send in a drone? Duh!)
07/02/09
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07/02/09
I thinks a lot of early Sci Fi was also experimenting with newer materials. There is a lot of polyester because a lot could be done with it. The colors of star trek can be attributed to the desire to showcase the abilities of color TV.
The harderst part with coming up with fashion in Sci Fi must be coming up with a look that doesn't seem dated.
07/02/09
I also hold a special place in my heart for the costume design of the Chronicles of Riddick, which was fairly realistic for the regular people and lusciously ridiculous for the nobility.
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07/02/09
But now that you mention it, I'm not sure the pinstripes would work quite as well in New York. It's a little over-dressed.
Or to put it another way - it would be very successful in a much narrower range of venues - venues that would be equally accepting of the other two outfits.
07/02/09
*shakes head*