Philip K. Dick’s electric sheeps, Frankenstein’s creature or chinese singer Cai XuKun‘s clones…, the Italian brand Prada seems quite inspired by tech and Sci-Fi references, in its fashion campaigns. Let’s have a look.

By Ludmilla Intravaia

Electrostatic discharges, as in a Faraday cage, are very fashionable at the moment. They are flowing in K-pop singer U-Know’s new music video “Follow” (read Le Boudoir Numérique’s paper : “Follow me like a - fashion tech - robot”) and also in the new Prada fall/winter 2019 advertising campaign, this July. 

A dark and romantic campaign like Miuccia Prada’s collection, paying tribute to the English author Mary Shelley’s gothic novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”, in 1818, whose creature (and his fiancée) appears on the silhouettes of Prada fall/winter 2019-2020 show, last February (see below).

In a steampunk mad scientist’s laboratory, models, led by Gigi Hadid, triturate control buttons and various test tubes, in a fantastic atmosphere, before invoking the fabulous powers of the electricity fairy. Finally, what's so unusual ? One must wake up before a successful party on the rooftop.

Check out Anatomy of Romance campaign by photograph Willy Vanderperre below.

Last June, another Prada campaign featured Chinese singer Cai XuKun visiting a futuristic museum, where replicas of himself, wearing masculine silhouettes of Prada fall/ winter 2019 collection, sat frozen, like robotic clones. The film explores the phenomenon of idol’s adulation on social media, like Kun who, at age 21, is beloved by 22 million followers on the Chinese website Weibo.

Check out Code Human campaign bymultimedia artist Cao Fei below.

Previously, in June 2018, the italian brand published the film “Nylon Farm”, alluding to its emblematic material, harvested, here, on synthetic sheeps, in a factory as desert as ultra-technological. "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", keeps wondering the heroine, contemplating her nylon Prada bag, while Philip K. Dick fidgets in his grave.

Check out Prada’s Nylon Farm video below. 

* Continue reading about tech and Sci-Fi inspirations in fashion campaigns with this Le Boudoir Numérique’s paper : “Balenciaga under tech influences”.