The Future of Fashion

I am very excited, as I'm sure many of you are by now, about The Hunger Games movie coming out in just about a week from today. Before it was in production I kept hoping someone would make a Hunger Games movie because the books are phenomenal. I felt the same when I read Twilight like 4 years ago and the movies regrettably didn't go so well, but I still have high hopes for this film. Books that depict a dystopian future have always fascinated me in the sense that they perfectly illustrate the author's imagination of what our society may shape into.

Effie Trinket (left) Katniss Everdeen (right)

Many films and pieces of literature greatly influence the future in terms of interests, lifestyle, and commodities within the beauty and fashion industry. Don't believe me? Consider the Twilight phenomenon. Stephanie Meyer had a vision about vampires and romance, which later turned into a vampire craze influencing television, art, consumer behavior, fashion, and the beauty industry. You couldn't deny the power of the vampy lipsticks, pale skin, and dark smokey eyes that flooded the runway, red carpet, and cosmetic stores. Still not convinced?  Let's look further back at such influential films as Titanic (blowing out the empire waist dress that Kate Winslet wore) Flashdance, (don't tell me you didn't wear leg warmers after that) Annie Hall's androgynous look, Blade Runner, Atonement... there are too many to name. While all these movies caused fashion to take a turn to the revival of retro and vintage fashions, The Hunger Games may very well have the power to turn fashion toward the far future, to a innovation we may not even be ready for. I truly believe that this movie will create a breakthrough in fashion and release styles and looks that are completely ahead of our time.

When I read The Hunger Games trilogy, I was nothing short of impressed with the imagination that Suzanne Collins had when writing her novels. One thing that really stuck out to me, was her vision of where fashion is heading in the far future. In this novel, the world is in ruins and what would be North America (now called Panem), there remains 13 districts and a Capitol (the only developed society where there is no poverty, only consumers). The main character, Katniss Everdeen, meets Capital dwellers and is appalled by the way they look and dress. I won't give too much away about the books, if you haven't read them, but you see a little bit of what I am talking about in the trailer. The announcer (Effie Trinket, played by Elizabeth Banks) is from the Capitol and has a vibrant alien look about her, completely drenched in fuchsia.

My favorite look in the novels, would be that of Octavia, one of the stylists that groom Katniss. Her skin has been dyed a green colour and has been embedded with jewels. This, along with oddly coloured lipsticks, nail colours and hair colours seem to be the norm in the Capitol and could very well be the new frontier in our reality. We've already seen some innovative styles in our time from Lady Gaga, and Alexander McQueen to Katy Perry's blue hair, and other celebrities styles. Will The Hunger Games provide the fuel to further advance our conception of beauty in such a way that will make Kesha's blue lips become the norm? I believe it is just around the corner and I am personally prepared to embrace it. Women have always gone to great lengths to achieve the society's standards of beauty. Maybe one day we will be permanently dying our skin to our favorite colour. Who knows? Just make sure to read the books and go watch the first Hunger Games, coming to theaters March 23rd. And may the odds be ever in your favor.

Posted in: beauty,fashion,future trends,The Hunger Games