TOP 10 fashion phenomena of 2024

Wrapping Up with the top 10 fashion phenomena of 2024

As the year comes to a close, we round up the big stories that defined the intersection of architecture, art, design, and technology in 2024. This year, fashion has embraced bold new concepts that redefine norms, like Iris Van Herpen’s kinetic butterfly sculptures at the MET Gala and Coperni’s ethereal Air Swipe Bag crafted from NASA’s silica aerogel. Collaborations fused existing designs with cutting-edge innovation, such as Prada’s partnership with Axiom Space for NASA’s lunar spacesuits and NIKE’s 3D printed Air Max 1000 sneakers with Zellerfeld.

From the runways of Paris to exhibitions in Tokyo, 2024 demonstrated how fashion designs become an experience. Designers embraced sustainability, with MIT’s robotic tailoring redefining garment construction and Adobe’s interactive dress proving technology can be integrated into haute couture. These innovations, alongside cultural statements like Mongolia’s Olympic uniforms inspired by traditional Deel clothing, highlight a year rich in fashion phenomena. Here’s a look back at the top 10 fashion stories that captured our imagination and defined the past 12 months.

image courtesy of Iris Van Herpen

At the MET Gala 2024, Iris Van Herpen debuted APSARA, a haute couture creation that brings together fashion and kinetic art. The dress, worn by Mona Patel, embodied the theme of the event, Garden of Time, with golden, reflective lines accentuating pink-hued textiles that cascaded like butterfly wings. Accompanying the dress were kinetic butterfly sculptures, created by artist Casey Curran, which slowly fluttered along Patel’s arms, adding a sense of movement and life to the ethereal ensemble.

The kinetic sculptures were powered by a mechanical system hidden in a discreet box, where translucent wires and a rotating crank animated the delicate pink wings. This intricate mechanism gave the butterflies a lifelike quality, transforming the gown into a living, breathing piece of art. 

image courtesy of Coperni

Coperni unveiled its groundbreaking Air Swipe Bag during its FW24 show, a creation made of 99% air and 1% glass. The Parisian fashion house collaborated with Professor Ioannis Michaloudis to design the bag using NASA’s silica aerogel, a nanomaterial renowned as the lightest solid on Earth. With a misty, cloud-like appearance, the bag evokes a sense of frozen vapor, resembling a portable CD player. Weighing just 33 grams, the bag is delicate, and users are advised to handle it with care, limiting its contents to light essentials.

Silica aerogel, a cutting-edge material originally developed by NASA, lends the bag its weightlessness and ethereal aesthetic. Aerogel was famously used in NASA’s 1999 Stardust mission to capture comet particles, thanks to its ability to endure extreme conditions, including temperatures up to 1,200°C and pressures 4,000 times its weight. For the Air Swipe Bag, Coperni reimagined this space-age material, creating the largest object ever made from silica aerogel. 

image courtesy of NIKE

NIKE and Zellerfeld partnered to reinvent the iconic Air Max 1 as 3D printed sneakers, dubbed the Air Max 1000, presented at ComplexCon 2024 in Las Vegas. The innovative design incorporates NIKE’s signature airbag cushioning in the heel for enhanced comfort and support, alongside breathable materials and honeycomb-structured midsoles developed through Zellerfeld’s expertise in 3D printing. Known for their work with Moncler and customizable, washable shoes, Zellerfeld ensures the Air Max 1000 offers a custom fit, using foot-scanning technology to tailor each pair to the wearer.

This collaboration aligns with NIKE A.I.R shoes, introduced earlier in Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympics. At ComplexCon, attendees explored the evolution of NIKE’s Air technology, including historical prototypes from Frank Rudy, the inventor of the original air cushioning system. While the Air Max 1000 silhouette was showcased at the event, no release date or market availability has been announced.