In the last few years fashion has been having an affair with wearable technology and smart textiles. But there are chances that this year the focus will shift a little bit more on science. At least that was the prevailing mood in Christopher Kane's women's Pre-Fall 2014 and menswear's Fall 2014 collections.
Having left behind the brain as inspiration, the Pre-Fall collection actually started with a snake theme that appeared as elasticised snakeprint bands forming the bodice of a full-skirted dress, a jacket or a bondage-like dress. In these designs the bands tightly compressed the body calling to mind the deadly embrace of a boa constrictor.
Science emerged in the second half of the Pre-Fall collection and in the men's collection, providing more interesting inspirations, from brightly colourful molecules printed on both men and women's oversized boxy tops to spherical appliqued embellishments for jumpers and trousers.
Atoms formed bubble-like mesh details around the hem of a mini-skirt, and the theme also worked particularly well in the accessories, with necklaces decorated with colourful beads representing atoms (in the last few years we have seen quite a few jewellery designers coming up with molecular necklaces in silver/gold or made using 3D printers, so the idea is actually not new, though in this case the emphasis was more on atoms as beads rather than on the actual molecular structures).
The snake theme in the menswear collection was interpreted as serpentine molecular structures, and the latter also inspired in menswear a more tailored line and cable knits in electric blue and charcoal grey with three-dimensional molecules (a very apt theme if you think about experiments with nanotechnology and knitwear...), and a sweat with an emblem-like molecular print resembling the identifying patches on crew uniforms in sci-fi films.
Thanks to their structures and the colours that usually identify the atoms, molecules seem to work pretty well in fashion, but there is also a further comparison here: fashion designers continuously create new garments and accessories; with nanotechnology scientists can instead manipulate different atoms into customisable shapes to create new structures and therefore new things.
Like the trend? Well, you can just jump on board, spot your favourite molecule, dig out the molecular kit you used in school and start playing around with it. You may not come up with a lovely mini-dress, but you may still be able to create one or two useful accessories.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Comments