May the Fashion Force Be with You: Designers Get Inspired by Sci-Fi for Fall 2014

by Maura Brannigan and Elana Fishman


When Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy sent out a smattering of finale dresses printed with R2-D2, Luke Skywalker and other Star Wars characters during the label's Fall 2014 show in New York last week, editors and critics weren't quite sure what to make of them. Was this a reflection of the designers' excitement surrounding J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII? The next step in the whole "geek chic" movement? Or were the dresses, as Style.com suggests, simply meant to get guests Instagramming? (For the record, mission accomplished.)

We'd be tempted to brush off Rodarte's Star Wars moment without much of a second thought-but just a few days ago, George Lucas' iconic sci-fi franchise was celebrated in another collection: at Preen, where images of Darth Vader's villanous visage adorned a number of looks. They say that three's a trend, and while we're still waiting for a third salute to Star Wars to pop up at the European shows-Miuccia Prada, we're looking at you-it's worth mentioning the less literal sci-fi references we've noticed in other collections as well. In New York, Dion Lee sent out shimmering dresses crisscrossed with gold-a more wearable way to get a bit of that C-3PO chic?-while at Altuzarra, wire-style silver chokers and cuffs added a futuristic twist to the collection's wrap coats and textural tapestry dresses. And in London, J.W. Anderson's sharp-shouldered, earth-toned dresses seemed straight out of a (very stylish) Trekkie's wardrobe.

Click through above to see and shop Fall 2014's budding sci-fi trend-and may the fashion force be with you!

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