Commercial Fashion Items Often Designed Around a Space Theme

          by Sarah Ansari-Manea

It's worth noting that, at least from the consumer perspective, everything about space is sexy. 

A galaxy inspired design from the Giorgio Armani Spring 2013 show at Milan Fashion Week. As outlined in the September 27th, 2012 Time Magazine article "Kaleidoscope View: Giorgio Armani’s Space-Themed Spring Show," many of the themes in the show "seemed to draw inspiration from outer space, with galaxies, constellations and the solar system as design elements." Photo c/o Getty Images. 

From the unbelievably high temperatures and speeds, to vastly spanning sizes; space practically screams: “go big or go home.” So when designers want their styles to be “out of this world” sexy, what other choice do they have than build their wardrobes around the theme of space, the final, and most stylish, frontier.

A sampling of "galaxy designs" c/o of the July 11th, 2011 post on the Syl and Sam website. According to the post "galaxy prints have been on trend for a while now & a lot of DIYers are starting to paint or bleach their own galaxy designs on clothes & shoes." 

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I've personally walked into a store and come across a space themed accessory or outfit. Everything from socks, shoes, pants, and hair clips, to full gowns speckled with stars and galaxies, it’s quite obvious that space is the latest fashionable trend. I am also guilty, but incredibly proud, to own anything from headbands to shirts that look like they've been taken off the set of the latest Star Trek film. Even walking around town and not laying eyes on a beautiful article of space themed clothing is becoming increasingly rare, as the everyday passerby’s are choosing to flaunt these intergalactic patterns and prints.

Supermodel Natalia Semanova on a trampoline with a Russian cosmonaut at Star City, northeast of Moscow, for a 1999 Russian Vogue fashion shoot. The photo was also part of the February 3rd, 2012 Wired article on "Cosmonaut Couture: Russian Photo Shoot Makes Space Sexy," which also included an interview with renowned fashion photographer Arthur Elgort, who took the photos.

The Internet is also surging with stellar styles, old and new, where people are reblogging and sharing images of outfits, from casual to the most extreme, with the common love of space. Perhaps the best example would be from renowned fashion photographer Arthur Elgort’s, now 72, in the December 1999 issue of Russian Vogue.

But there are certainly others such as Jean Paul Gaultier’s ready-to-wear 2014 autumn/winter collection as profiled in the April 3rd, 2014 EuroNews article "Space and the 70s inspires Paris fashion week."

Lady Gaga in a February 2014 publicity shot. Photo c/o Opinions.com.

The images consist of futuristic styles, taken with real cosmonauts at Star City. Supermodel Natalia Semanova poses and flaunts her stuff at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, giving the shoot a very inside look at Russian space life, which has never had the chance to look so fabulous prior.

All of Natalia’s outfits are clean, modern and sophisticated, putting new light on the public’s view of the dark and mysterious universe, and reviving the spirits of the Russian space sector. It informed and influenced the recent resurgence in Russian pride, and made trendy the accomplishments of the space program.

Many well-known designers have tried their hands at space themed clothing, from Pierre Cardin (in 1970) to Alexander McQueen (in 2010), and the constant appearance of this theme in the outfits of pop divas and hip hop artists is only fueling the fire.

Beloved celebrities, such as Lady Gaga, have been pushing the space movement forward with their otherworldly styles, and are just causing the trend to skyrocket.

Sarah Ansari-Manea.

Fashion has always been influential throughout the years, and will continue to gauge a society’s values and standards. The fact that space is overwhelmingly abundant in our clothes and art proves that we genuinely love and appreciate the beauty of the infinite unknown.
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Sarah Ansari-Manea is an aspiring astrophysicist, currently completing a specialist in physics and astronomy at the University of Toronto.