Image via Complex Original
The future is now. Flying cars. Robot butlers and maids. Time machines. All of these amazing contraptions are here…wait, no, that’s not right. None of these things are a part of our everyday lives. People have been trying to predict the future for ages, thinking up technology, design, and aesthetics that may not have been invented or that hasn’t been utilized properly. On the other hand, many of today’s incredible doohickeys and thingamajigs weren’t even fathomable 10 years ago, but alas, here we are. And this is applicable to the world of menswear, too.
It’s hard to practice futurism in the world of fashion because almost everything is cyclical. It’s happened before and it will happen again. But there is always a brand that finds a way to bring something new and refreshing to the table. Designers utilizing unprecedented design, fabrics, or production practices are among a revolutionary charge of brands trying to break the boundaries of genres. Meet the 10 Futurist Brands You Need to Keep Your Eye On.
VENUSxMARS
VENUSxMARS isn’t just re-appropriating everyday basics; they are turning the word “basics” into anything but. Channeling intergalactic science-fiction heroes like the Jedi and Spock, the brand implements high fashion production techniques into everyday essentials like T-shirts and sweatpants. These techniques range from cut and sew sleeves to quilted detail on the sweatpants, all with the utmost quality—which should be expected. If you're looking to have basic be standout pieces in your wardrobe, look no further.
Sirius Made
Italian brand Sirius Made is inspired by the brightest star in the night sky, which is also one of the closest stars to Earth. The brand also concentrates on the “seven chakras,” or energy points in the body, as their capsule collection includes five original garments, one pair of sunglasses, and a crystal necklace that symbolize each of the points. Oh, and the garments range from a sleeved cape with leather details to a cotton T-shirt with asymmetrical hem. The story alone is of another dimension, so it’s only fitting that the clothing is, too.
Underground Visionaries
The most essential aspect of futuristic fashion is attention to design. Underground Visionaries isn’t doing anything new with the Mandarin Collar or with yarn-dyed Tweed trousers, but their silhouettes are in another galaxy. The tunic-style shirting, including the Thobe (which you must have the biggest fashion-forward cojones in the galaxy to wear), shifts the paradigm of flow-y, non-fitted wear. The use of Japanese fabric for all their pieces also pushes them into another dimension, as they obviously strive for quality while creating a new genre of menswear favorites.
area
We take T-shirts for granted all too often. We just throw them on all willy-nilly. Mustard on ’em? Who cares, we’ll buy another. But then you come across a T-shirt you treat like your finest garment until it literally becomes worn to perfection. NYC’s area uses a special hand pressing and embossing production method to create a T-shirt that uniquely evolves the more you wear it, especially when water hits the texture to dissolve it. This type of printing practice is the Hypercolor of our generation, but with more legs.
Craig Green
One of London’s emerging designers is not only known for his eccentrically-themed runway shows, but also for his non-conformity to what people think menswear should look like any given season. His Spring/Summer 2014 collection took the classic hippie tie-dye look into a realm of futuristic defiance, applying it to unique silhouettes that look incredible layered together. The craftsmanship of some pieces like his Stripe Patch Jumper is considered radical by fashion enthusiasts because they haven’t experienced something so shockingly uncommon. Green is creating his own lane in fashion.
Keenkeee
You can get pretty much anything screen-printed or sublimated these days. But Keenkeee’s trippy prints can only be described as something you’d see if you were teleporting from the future: Cozy hyper-real sublimated sweatsuits that make you look like you’re a walking, breathing CGI while screaming “2 Futuristic 4 U.”
Xander Zhou
Is there anything that embodies the future more than Star Wars? Xander Zhou is the first Chinese-based designer to obtain a license to use Star Wars imagery, which is applied to cuts that have yet to be explored in the world of men’s fashion. Combining the futuristic tale with uncharted silhouettes has allowed the up-and-coming brand to put Chinese menswear on the map.
KYE
KYE has been around since 2011, when it introduced garments that were hyperbolic in nature: oversized pants with a dozen zippers, a leather King Kong hand-shaped “jacket” (if you can call it that), and even the top with the shoulder-wide hood. The brand hasn’t slowed down with its unparalleled design, introducing pieces that use atypical fabrics and straying away from conventional designs that one might see more as “art.” KYE is artistic fashion design that the majority of menswear has yet to be put on to.
3.Paradis
Young designers are always striving to break out and create something unique, but many have trouble doing that while staying within their respective lanes. 3.Paradis’ Raymond Cheung and Rico Tchatchoua aren’t your typical young designers, introducing their own version of the future in fashion that people can do nothing but flock to with anticipation. Their Spring/Summer 2015 collection, thematically named “Just Came Back From Planet Earth,” sets out to create somewhat of a space-ready uniform for a sartorially adequate samurai swordsman. Incredible use of fabrics like silk and leather are patterned to prepare you for the fifth dimension.
Abasi Rosborough
Co-owner Abdul Abasi has gone on record saying that he doesn’t really like it when his brand, Abasi Rosborough, is referred to as “futuristic.” So apologies, Abdul, but AR’s next-level designs and approach to how one is supposed to wear their clothes fits the bill. Sure, brands have done the minimalism approach—brands have gone monochromatic for a full season—but AR’s genre-less, original designs are all made to complement each other for a layered look that will have you looking like you just stepped off a swaggy spaceship.