In TV series or on the catwalks, the cyber clubwear inspiration of the 90s has the upper hand, with flashing LEDs and bright optical fibers. Welcome to bling tech!

By Ludmilla Intravaia

A spaceship, thousands light-years from earth. Astronauts, high on an extraterrestrial euphoric plant, dance with a bunch of holograms wearing glowing accessories, straight out of a typical English rave. These spacionauts are those of the series Another Life on Netflix, launched last July 25, a Sci-Fi series, where even the alien lifeform marooned on our planet looks like a giant electric bulb in a wild party.

It is clear that, when it comes to depicting space mysterious confines or an underworld nightclub in the Italian serie Gomorra, the prevaling fantasmagoric vision for partying is the fashion tech one, with flashing LEDs and luminous optical fibers.

The influence of nineties clubwear, neon-glowing glasses, digital display collars and colors changing coats, has now returned to strength. A futuristic and cyber fashion celebrated, for instance, by the British brand Cyberdog, offering a wide range of "Light Up" accessories, shoes, makeup, masks, bags, etc. (see below).

For example, Cyberdog's "Eyelite" LEDs light makeup was recently used during 2019 Autumn-Winter show by designer Marine Serre in Paris.

From now on, luxe fashion houses are joining the dance of brilliant and vibrant bling tech. Louis Vuitton launched bags with flexible digital screens at its 2020 Cruise collection in New York, last May.

The models of Louis Vuitton Man Fall/Winter 2019 show wore bright textile optic fibers bags and sneakers.

Indian designer Manish Arora proposed a luminous digital display for the bags of his Fall-Winter 2019 show.

Last but not least, Balenciaga has equiped the soles of its Track sneakers with colored LEDS.

* Continue reading on this suject with this paper from Le Boudoir Numérique : "Balenciaga under tech influences". 

* This research on bling tech took place, while writing a paper for Belgian magazine Le Vif Weekend, dated September 26, 2019. Discover it right here.