Visual history of space-age fashion

The 1960s space race was more than a measure of scientific progress. The anticipation of this next stage of humanity left an indelible impression on culture, too.

President John F. Kennedy's vision of man reaching the moon soon spawned a throng of TV shows and films -- including cartoon sitcom “The Jetsons” and the “Star Trek” franchise -- all of which looked to cater to America's newfound interest in space travel.

The success of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 only whetted appetites further. For fashion designers Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin and Thierry Mugler, it became the rocket that launched a thousand looks, as they centered whole collections around an intergalactic vision of the future.

Whether it was a chain-mail shift dress, a bulbous helmet or a pair of stark white boots, the sartorial legacy of the '60s and '70s was defined by a space-race exuberance. But even decades after we first set foot on the moon, the cosmos has remained a mainstay of inspiration for a variety of fashion houses.

Now as a new space race unfolds, this time with a human mission to Mars on the horizon, we take a look back at fashion's enduring love affair with outer space, in which art imitates life forms -- whether alien or astronaut -- and celestial bodies alike.

Pierre Cardin

The early work of Italian designer Pierre Cardin, pictured here at Paris Fashion Week in 1968, was a cascade of silver vinyl. Cardin, who died in December 2020, was a pioneer of space-age fashion, crafting sharp, modernist silhouettes from shimmering lamé fabric. His futuristic designs have been worn by the likes of '60s style icon Mia Farrow and The Beatles.

Dior

After Dior's 2006-2007 Fall-Winter Haute Couture show at Paris Fashion Week, the label's creative director at the time, British designer John Galliano, wore an astronaut suit as he did a customary lap around the catwalk.

Chanel

For the Chanel Fall-Winter 2017-2018 ready-to-wear collection, the Grand Palais in Paris housed an enormous monogrammed rocket ship that even underwent a fake launch, complete with billowing smoke. Models stood in front of the spacecraft wearing “Jetsons”-inspired ensembles with glitter knee-high go-go boots and double-breasted bouclé skirt suits.

Balmain

Today, outer space still captures the imagination of fashion. For the Balmain Fall-Winter 2021-2022 collection shown at this year's Paris Fashion Week, the catwalk became a story of escape. A rocket hangar, an airplane and even the moon hovered suggestively behind strutting models as viewers fantasized in unison about traveling during a pandemic. No destination was out of the question, even off-world.

Iris van Herpen

No designer working today appears more consistently influenced by otherworldly shapes and ideas than Iris van Herpen. The stage design for her 2019 collection Hypnosis featured a spherical sculpture by American artist Anthony Howe that bore a striking resemblance to the lunar phases. According to the show notes, the Dutch designer was inspired by cosmic themes of “infinite expansion” and “a universal life cycle.”