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Sci-Fi Walks the Runway

September 9, 2026 · 33 min

Show notes

When sci-fi movies take a big swing in depicting futuristic fashion, sometimes they end up creating iconic outfits and other times they create fashion which looks laughably outdated in a few years. I’ve became fascinated by three fashion designers whose work took center stage in sci-fi films and transcended the films themselves. I talk with fashion historians and authors Raissa Bretaña and Thèresa Winge about the influence of Paco Rabanne on Barbarella, the work of Jean-Paul Gaultier on The Fifth Element and the way Alexander McQueen was influenced by dystopian sci-fi, which informed the McQueen style in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Each of these collaborations left a lasting impact on cinema and fashion, from the runway to the shopping mall. 

Thèresa's book Fashion Adventures in Science Fiction Cinema comes out in December.

This episode is sponsored by Quince. Download the Quince app for app exclusive offers or go to Quince.com/imaginary.

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