Alpana and Neeraj are going futuristic with wood-finish laminates, bandages and even plastic (in the picture) in their outfits

Imagine a gown stitched together with scores of surgical masks. Or picture yourself in a dress with a leather fishtail and moulded bodice that looks almost like armour plating. Or perhaps you’d like an ensemble with glow-in-the-dark graphic prints. It’s as easy as that to fast-forward to a futuristic look.

Says Rahul Khanna of designer duo Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna: “Futuristic fashion is a designer’s vision of the future. It’s one of the trickiest inspirations to work with as we’re playing with something that doesn’t exist.”

The good news is that the trend is not just restricted to the catwalk. It can be easily executed — sometimes with your own wardrobe staples. To sport a futuristic look in daily dressing, Khanna suggests pairing a classic garment with a futuristic piece and experimenting with accessories. For instance, you could team a rivet-studded jacket with a plain dress or accessorise a simple outfit with chunky chains worn around the neck or waist or grab a glamorous metal clutch.

Both Sanchita Ajjampur and Shantanu & Nikhil (above) flaunt metallic detailing in their futuristic creations

Metallic elements form an integral part of Shantanu & Nikhil’s futuristic look. The designers are liberally using metallic fabrics for jumpsuits and short, hot dresses while detailing sleeves and waists with rivets and metal sequins. Sometimes the sleeves are exaggerated and the dresses come with corset waists. “These convey the idea of masculinity in feminine silhouettes,” says Shantanu. The designers are all for body-hugging yet fuss-free clothing. Priced between Rs 18,000 and Rs 50,000, the collection has used a lot of lace, metallic fabrics and brocade which have been texturised with appliqué work. The colour palette is heavy on shades of black, beige and orange.

In their line The Theatre of Illusions, priced between Rs 4,500 and Rs 60,000, Gandhi and Khanna have used sheer silk, voile, mesh, organza and tulle.

According to designers Alpana and Neeraj Chauhan, a great way to begin would be to opt for one statement piece to go with what one usually loves to wear. For example, pick a simple little black dress with moulded shoulders or team armour-like bodices with skirts and casual jackets. “A futuristic look can be restrained and it doesn’t have to be screaming for attention,” says Alpana.

There are no boundaries or guidelines that are holding Alpana and Neeraj back. Whether it’s wood-finish laminates, bandages, plastic or even surgical masks, they’re using them all in their futuristic creations. The base fabrics include silks, wools and jerseys in strong hues of white, black, indigo and red, too.

Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna’s futuristic look is all about drama and illusion

Their futuristic ensembles — priced upwards of Rs 15,000 — include a pristine white pencil dress. “This dress, part of our Fall-Winter 2012 collection, is inspired by underwater. We wanted to create something that was edgy and luxurious. So, the shoulders were subtly exaggerated, the dress was given a fishtail-like extension in leather and the bodice was moulded to resemble an armour,” says Neeraj.

The look is all about how they want fashion to evolve and it could be using such materials for creating garments that were never used before.

Abhishek Dutta, on the other hand, draws heavily from sci-fi flicks and his Fall Winter collection is inspired by the idea that the future lies in body-moulded silhouettes. “Structured clothing, a slimmer look (tapering waists) and high, in-built collars (with no seams attached but with the collars emerging directly from the dress), instead of regular high collars, bring out the futuristic flavour,” says Dutta, who’s embellished his futuristic creations with glow-in-the-dark print appliqués as well as cutwork.

Psychedelic tones of red, purple and turquoise dominate Pankaj and Nidhi Ahuja’s line

He’s designed a gown with a transparent bodice that comes with 3D leather sleeves (3D pieces of leather pyramids fixed onto the shoulders). There are also glow-in-the-dark graphic prints in spiral shapes on maxi dresses and summer jackets. The colours range from grey to black and midnight blue to purple as they define the theme of sci-fi movies. The line is priced between Rs 7,000 and Rs 14,000.

Sanchita Ajjampur meanwhile is focusing on body shapes and functional ease. Her creations (priced between Rs 8,000 and Rs 1.8 lakh) incorporate synthetic fringing, woven leather cords and piped edges in the Orient-inspired kimono drapes and short dresses. “The ensembles are detailed with ropes and tassels and come with corsets made with leather strips for an exaggerated futuristic feel,” says Ajjampur. There’s 3D embroidery on silk, along with metallic motifs, crystals and sequins on the slim-fit trousers. And Ajjampur has opted for hues like chalky lavender, grass green, blush nude and lemon interspersed with flashes of gilded gold and pewter.

Bright colours like vermilion red, purple and turquoise dominate designs of Pankaj and Nidhi Ahuja. Their vision of futuristic fashion is not so much about space-age or high-tech fashion but what the future will hold in terms of design ideology.

The designer duo is experimenting with new materials created with innovative techniques. “We’ve used wool to create fur for a jacket. That’s a futuristic technique and also a sustainable resource,” says Pankaj. Priced between Rs 8,000 and Rs 35,000, the ensembles are available in wool felt, wool fur and silk. And there are the Star Wars-inspired jackets for the warrior-like feel.

So, with so much going for it, it’s time to start thinking fashion forward.