There are items in the history of fashion that, throughout the decades, have turned for commentators into the proverbial albatross hanging from the neck of the ancient mariner - they are a curse rather than a pleasure to write about. Why? Mainly because there are numerous interpretations (or, well, copies...) of the same idea, spanning decades or, in some cases, even centuries, meaning that your research will be like falling into a bottomless rabbit hole.
One example is the Little Black Dress (LBD), a mutant entity throughout the centuries, but there are more modern items that have garnered throughout the years a sort of "aggravated" albatross potential. While the LBD is, after all, not a specific design, but an idea that can be transformed into thousands of interpretations, there are some garments that aren't even reinvented or reinterpreted; they are simply reissued after a few seasons, contributing to the repetitive nature of fashion discussions.
A recent example is the futuristic Printed Circuit Board (PCB) bodysuit. Inspired by the robotic body, rather than pointing at the sexy allure of cyborgs and of gynoids in particular and their smooth metal armoured bodies, the circuit board bodysuit indicates a softer, almost more romantic, type of approach.
It is as if those designers who employed it tried to give a more human aspect to the robotic body, hinting at the veins and arteries of the robotic anatomy rather than at the harder shell protecting it.
The circuit board bodysuit was first spotted in fashion over 20 years ago (no, this doesn't mean that you can copy it because so many years have gone since then...).
Alexander McQueen sent out on Givenchy's Fall1999 runway models clad in rigidly cut suits that made them look a bit like Rachael out of "Blade Runner" (but with hairstyles reminiscent of Pris...) and in bodysuits covered in circuit board patterns.
In some cases the prints and embroideries glowed in the dark, though the final bodices - the result of a collaboration with Studio van der Graaf - were made of molded clear plastic with integrated battery-powered programmed flashing LEDs, and they were matched with glowing leggings patterned like computer chips.
This radically different interpretation of Givenchy's style was McQueen's answer to the fears and anxieties of Y2K.
But fashion-wise maybe McQueen may have had as reference for the circuit board patterns something way less technological - a motif printed on an ensemble designed by English tailor and fashion designer Freddie Burretti for David Bowie.
Sported by Bowie in a well-known series of images by Michael Putland showing him painting his house in 1972 and on stage at a gig at the Newcastle upon Tyne City Hall, the design featured a pattern that looked minimalist and futuristic, even though Burretti wasn't certainly trying to do a circuit board print here. That said, the configuration of the print makes it look a bit like a circuit board.
Fast forward to 2016 and Chanel fans may remember that in the maison's S/S 17 collection there was a jacket covered in a beaded embroidery that mimicked a circuit board. The collection also featured handbags in the shape of black robots with circuits traced in white or green.
The circuit board bodysuit came back in the costumes (by Laura Theiss) for a piece entitled "Clara" (part of the "Future World" double bill) performed at the Saarland State Theatre in 2020 for the Saarbrücken Ballet, choreographed by Stijn Celis.
In the performance at first the dancers appeared naked and vulnerable, but a change of lights made the reflective circuit boards printed on the bodysuits visible, transforming the dancers from humans into machines.
For those of us who aren't dancers yet love the idea of a bodysuit for cosplaying or festival purposes, there have been cheaper versions available for years on Aliexpress (in black with white circuits or in black with white and green circuits).
Other retailers, including Black Milk Clothing and Devil Walking have their own interpretations of the circuit board printed designs that includes a long sleeved version and a variety of other items, from crop tops and leggings to cut-out bodysuits and face masks.
The latest rendition of the design is Marine Serre’s silvery circuit board-cum-signature crescent moon print bodysuits (embellished with a metallic jewelry body piece with a silver chain top with letters forming "Renaissance" hanging on the front) created for Beyoncé and donned by the Grammy-winning star during the Chicago leg of the Renaissance World Tour.
It is worth remembering here that Beyoncé actually wore an archival Givenchy by Alexander McQueen reflective catsuit from the brand’s Fall/Winter 1999 collection in a shoot for her merch coffee table book.
The designs donned by Beyoncé in her Renaissance World Tour have been thoroughly noted by fans and the singer selected Amazon Music as the exclusive merchandise partner for the tour. The designs featured on Amazon feature T-shirts and sweats with prints of Beyoncé in different costumes, but not in the circuit board bodysuit.
Yet, as following the European tour launch there was a remarkable surge in search interest for fashion items seen on the stage (including metallic cowboy boots) and the tour sparked a frenzy among retail chains looking for ways to capitalize on its popularity, you can bet the circuit board print will soon resurface on even more items.
Despite the mere thought of seeing more circuit board bodysuits may be traumatic for some of us, maybe we could turn this inspiration into something else.
To find less banal interpretations of the circuit board print we could for example re-read the work of American mathematician, engineer and information theorist Claude Shannon, founder of the digital computer and digital circuit design theory in 1937.
There are other ways to explored the world of circuit boards: as you may remember from a previous post New Mill's Spring/Summer 2023 yarn collection features, for example, several yarns in green shades that call to mind the green core of a PCB.
While you can also download free images of PCBs from HiClipart and do something with them, in the unfortunate event that your washing machine has recently malfunctioned (like in my case), you can turn your bad luck around by disassembling its PCB.
Yes, washing machines have a PCB that controls many of their electrical functions, and if it fails, the appliance may lose functionality entirely. However, you can transform this situation into an opportunity by creating something fun, extravagant and original from the PCB, like a pendant or a keychain – the choice is yours. Just refrain from adding to the abundance of circuit board bodysuits out there, for goodness' sake.
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