History of metal clothing Armour of war and nightlife

Movies that include scenes of soldiers in armour, with the sound of clashing metals and slow, heavy movements, represent a sort of ASMR not only for fans of fantasy and ancient stories. Perhaps this is why war films continue to be very successful, despite the already warlike times we are facing. First, Dune, which, with outfits that retain water to stay hydrated even in the desert, offers a cutting-edge alternative to what used to be just a leather suit in films like Gladiator: then Furiosa, the prequel to Mad Max, where the protagonist builds herself a bionic arm. There's no need to beat around the bush or try to find a philosophical meaning in the passion that mankind has preserved for armour over the centuries: wearing heavy metal costumes capable of protecting against enemy attacks remains an incredibly attractive look, even though the Middle Ages ended long ago: heartthrobs like Heath Ledger in A Knight’s Tale and Timothée Chalamet in King know this well, as do the powerful Matt Smith in House of the Dragon and Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man. The lines of the silver suit, almost anatomical, recall the silhouette of muscles, while its shiny silver brings to mind the cold, clear surface of a mirror. In this intoxicating dichotomy between power (the muscles) and vanity (the mirror), armour remains a winning look, both on the big screen and on the runway. And the eternal icon Joan of Arc knows something about this.

Before Gaultier and McQueen, or others who made metal a lingerie element (like Thierry Mugler), one of the first designers to see the potential of silver was Paco Rabanne. Along with colleagues André Courrèges and Pierre Cardin, he was one of the founders of the Space Age movement, an aesthetic that combined past and future through the use of materials like, indeed, metal. Instead of needle and thread, Rabanne used to sew clothes on the bodies of models with the help of pliers (Coco Chanel called him a «metallurgist of fashion), which he sometimes gave to clients so they could build the looks to their liking. Rabanne's avant-garde dresses were highly appreciated in the world of cinema and music, with stars like Françoise Hardy and Brigitte Bardot expanding their popularity. In 1966, the same year he launched the brand, he contributed to the costume design for James Bond Casino Royale, a year later he dressed Audrey Hepburn in Two for the Road, and a year later Jane Fonda appeared in a Rabanne two-piece in a promotional spot for Barbarella. The 60s went crazy for novelties, and Rabanne went crazy for womenswear innovation, a whirlwind of enthusiasm that helped to cement silver among the most popular colors for evening dresses, and which twenty years later would inspire Gianni Versace to invent oroton, worn by his muses Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer.

More than fifty years after the first creations of metallurgist Rabanne, armour-dresses continue to make an impact at Fashion Week. The last designer to use actual armour for styling a collection was Demna from Balenciaga, who for FW21 created digital avatars halfway between bloke-core and medieval-core. Metallic silver returned to the spotlight at SS25 thanks to Jonathan Anderson for Loewe, Dries Van Noten, who for his last show as creative director created glittering lamé suits, but also Cecile Bahnsen, Coperni, Givenchy, and Simone Rocha, who created floral appliqués, 3D sheath dresses, and accessories halfway between armour and space age complete with a metal effect similar to aluminum. Among the emerging fashion spaces, the name of YVMIN is making its way, a jewelry brand that, among other things, creates custom silver prosthetics with organic silhouettes encrusted with diamonds. Wearing armour is certainly a dream achievable for few, but if you were wondering if even those clothes so far from our daily lives have retained their charm, just look at the outfit worn by Zendaya at the world premiere of Dune Part Two: Thierry Mugler Couture Fall 1995. To remind us that velvet and stiletto heels are gorgeous, but that sometimes leaving the comfort zone makes a great impression.