I Spy Sci-Fi: Decoding Fashion's Obsession With Futurism

Prada has always shot for the sartorial stars, but they’re heading for the moon this time. At the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, the Italian brand unveiled its design of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) space suit for NASA’s Artemis III mission. Set to blast off in 2025, the suit will be worn by the first female astronaut to ever walk on the moon. It’s just the latest example of fashion’s futurist agenda in a time dominated by the allure of the unknown and the promise of innovation more compelling than ever. From virtual reality to digital wearables, the industry’s technological craze begs the question: how is futurism shaping fashion?

The sci-fi aesthetic as we know it owes much to cinema, which established its visual language over a century ago with early masterpieces like A Trip to the Moon (1902) and Metropolis (1927) - both of which pioneered futurist style. In Metropolis, director Fritz Lang, responding to the industrial revolution and 20th-century innovations, collaborated with art director Erich Kettelhut and artists Otto Hunte and Karl Vollbrecht to craft the film’s mechanised, Weimar-inspired cityscape, while costume designer Aenne Willkomm created a wardrobe that mirrored this futuristic vision.

As fashion continues to evolve, so too do our visions of the future, with sci-fi design and high fashion working hand-in-hand to conjure new worlds and alternate realities. This season, the S/S 25 womenswear shows tapped into a century of cinematic futurist fantasies, drawing inspiration from ever-shifting depictions of wearable tech and the aesthetics of tomorrow.

A nod to the infamous space race, 1960s space-age fashion was a clear influence in Miuccia Prada’s S/S 25 womenswear collection, aptly titled ‘Infinite Present’. The collection’s name resonates with sci-fi themes, as the distinct 1960s aesthetic has woven itself through the genre, crafting a stylised future that feels grounded in today. Metallic materials and rounded cutouts in both garments and accessories capture the bold, limitless vision of the era, evoking a spirit of futuristic optimism. As a cinephile, Miuccia Prada is no stranger to reimagining the screen for the runway with the metallic skirts reminiscent of William Klein's fashion satire Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo? (1966).

Naturally, the space race saw a boom in sci-fi media, where explorations of new planets and alien life cemented the genre within popular culture. Designers such as Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, and Andre Courrèges were both inspired by and informed the era’s media, cementing it firmly as an aesthetic. With films like Barbarella, who saw Jane Fonda wearing a metallic mini dress (heavily inspired by Rabanne) as the 'Queen of the Galaxy', the fashionable space-age style found its home both on and off the screen. As progressions in space travel saw radical advancements, the sci-fi style was a way for designers to place themselves in the future as it was happening.

Uniformity, mile-high hair, and an anti-gravity feel defined Laura and Deanna Fanning’s Kiko Kostadinov S/S 25 womenswear collection that paid homage to the interstellar flight attendants of 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968). Writing in their show notes, the designers stated their affinity for flight and travel-wear, an emphasis on uniforms, and ‘finding ourselves in strange lands’. In classic Kostadinov style, the looks draw from vibrant, 1960s-inspired colour palettes, merging the designers' London-based sensibilities with the sci-fi genre they reference. Like Prada, Kostadinov reimagines the retro-futuristic sci-fi uniform, presenting their vision of a utopian future.

As always, Balenciaga’s S/S 25 collection drew inspiration from an aggressive 80s silhouette, with modern futuristic elements in accessories. Blade Runner (1982) stands as a landmark in sci-fi fashion, embracing excess with fur, extreme proportions, and bold body exposure. Balenciaga’s latest collection echoes this iconic aesthetic, within the 360 wraparound mono eyewear, neoprene interfaced 'cocoon' jackets, and an emphasis on lightweight, easily moveable garments. Like Blade Runner, the collection leans into extremes—broad shoulders, exposed flesh, and indulgent materials—to create characters seemingly transported from a distant future. This vision, however, diverges from the utopian ideals of the space age, presenting a gritty, sexual, and unapologetically dystopian essence.

Creating otherworldly creatures, Junya Watanabe’s S/S 25 womenswear collection was shown by models in black full-eye contacts, shaved brows, and painted stark faces, wearing the designer’s avant-garde creations. Watanabe took the theme literally, drawing on the codes established in sci-fi films. His use of silver and black reflective materials evokes the sleek surfaces of buildings and spaceships that shape the sci-fi landscapes of films like Star Wars. The alien-like models in their imposing ensembles hovered down the runway to Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love', a pioneering track in electronic music. Writing on Instagram, Watanabe noted, 'I feel that abnormal clothing is necessary in our everyday life.’ With this collection, he brings his futuristic vision into the present, subtly suggesting that perhaps we’re already living in the future.

Apocalyptic in style, KNWLS’ S/S 25 womenswear collection Charlotte Knowles’ latest collection channels the rugged styles of barren wastelands, fitting seamlessly into a setting from Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. With an emphasis on neutrality and utility, the looks echo the protective aesthetics seen in modern sci-fi, geared to withstand both environmental elements and hostile forces. Hoods, headgear, and agile silhouettes add to the collection's otherworldly allure.

Their leather fascinators - created in collaboration with British milliner Stephen Jones—‘revive a bygone elegance with sci-fi flair.’ Crafted from functional materials like leather, nylon, and sustainable TENCEL mesh, the collection mirrors 21st-century sci-fi’s commitment to innovative, sustainable materials that balance strength with sophistication. By drawing on past style evolutions and future-ready fabrics, KNWLS delivers a collection that feels both cutting-edge and perfectly in step with today’s fashion landscape.

Sci-fi as a genre is so integral to the 20th century, as technology progressed at a lightning pace, it would only make sense for creatives to explore where it would all lead the future of humanity. Now, firmly in the 21st century, designers, filmmakers, artists are all coming to terms with this way of life, perhaps romanticising where we thought we would be by now. Are we living in a utopia or dystopia? Does it even matter? The modern day reality of science fiction has more relevance than ever. With constant expansion to the science fiction genre, through fashion, films, and media, our modern-day life is not too far off from the futures of our past. As the 21st century unfolds, it is time to reimagine our version of the future.