April 4, 2012
Retro Futurism Is Latest Fashion Sensation
Mark Thompson READ TIME: 3 MIN.
NEW YORK, NY - "The clothes that I prefer are those I invent for a life that doesn't exist yet - the world of tomorrow," said Pierre Cardin in the Sixties.
It was a whole new way of looking at fashion - straight out of a science fiction novel. It revolutionized the fashion industry in the 60s and the world gasped in astonishment. Futurism, as it was called, gave us the clothes of tomorrow.
Engineered dresses like Pierre Cardin's "Black Hole," Andre Courreges' confections in silver and white PVC, and Paco Rabanne's chain mail defied traditional fashion sense. They were bold, edgy and defiant-a stunning example of what happens when science meets style!
At the upcoming Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show, April 20 & 21 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, show goers will have an opportunity to view and purchase the creations that generated the "Youthquake" that is still being felt to this day.
A highlight of this two-day shopping extravaganza, featuring 90 top vintage clothing vendors, is the special exhibit , "Out There Wear: Futuristic Fashion" that traces Futurism from the 60s right on into the 90s.
"We've actually seen this look creeping up on the runway as early as 1995," writes Glamour fashion editor Brooke Kelley. "Future fashion is a style beyond anything we've yet dared to wear and it's going to be a trend setter's paradise."
Featured in the exhibit is a 70s Thierry Mugler Couture silver dress that demonstrates why Mugler fans call him the "King of Futuristic Design". Paco Rabanne's signature silver metal style is seen in a silver top paired with Joseph LaRose silver knee-high boots. Gucci takes on the future with a 90s black silk and leather dress accessorized with a Pierre Cardin heavy silver necklace from the 60s that is oh-so- Space Age.
All of the fashions in the exhibit, with the exception of the Paco Rabanne top are for sale with prices ranging from $250 for a Jean Paul Gautier printed lame silk jersey to $5500 for the silver Thierry Mugler Couture.
The exhibit couldn't be more timely! This season's 2012 collections exploded with a futuristic bang that will have us shopping the racks for out-of-this-world style. Not since the 60s, have we seen so much metal, shiny surfaces, alternative materials and bold color.
Manish Aurora delved into the Paco Rabanne archives for his first collection for the celebrated design house, re-editing some of Rabanne's most notorious looks like Bardot's iconic striped gold and silver metallic mini. Canadian newcomer, Caitlin Power, rocked the runways with a futuristic collection straight out of Star Trek.
The Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show brings us the originals that made the Mod 60s Futuristic style so popular over the next three decades and its latest evolution -retro-futurism - one of the hottest trends on the market for Spring 2012.
Show hours are: Friday, 1 - 8pm; Saturday 11am - 6pm. Admission $20. The Metropolitan Pavilion is located at 125 W. 18th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues.
For more information, visit www.manhattanvintage.com
A long-term New Yorker and a member of New York Travel Writers Association, Mark Thompson has also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The author of the novels WOLFCHILD and MY HAWAIIAN PENTHOUSE, he has a PhD in American Studies and is the recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center. His work has appeared in numerous publications.
