By Christine Cooper.

The future is something I spend a lot of time thinking about these days. Where will I live? What career path should I choose? Will I ever like children enough to have my own? Yet as an avid fashionista, I have, somehow, forgotten to ask myself another important question: what will fashion look like in the future?

Contemplating on the topic, the first image that popped into my mind was one of my favorite childhood cartoons, The Jetsons. I started to think that maybe in the future we will all wear cute dresses like Judy Jetson and her Mom. If you don’t remember the series as fondly as I do, let me refresh your memory. The Jetson ladies tended to generally  appear in brightly coloured leggings or tights, as well as architectural collars and skirts. Doesn’t sound too bad, right?

But as my thoughts about the fashion’s future progressed, I realized that I wasn’t the only one thinking about it. To celebrate London’s Fashion Week, St. Martin’s Courtyard and the global fastenings manufacture YKK have recently launched The Future of Fashion exhibit.

The exhibition features 10 of London’s premier fashion and accessory designers. The main focal point is a dress-like sculpture by the acclaimed fashion designer and artist Kei Kagami. Collaborating with YKK, Kagami created a floating gown out of YKK zippers that glow in the dark. Amazingly at first, I didn’t even realize it was made out of zippers, but was instead more impressed by the weaving that created the body and skirt of the gown.

The other participating designers did not disappoint either. I was pleasantly surprised by their creativity and flare. Elaborate head pieces and armor-like fashions are the images that I often  associate with the hard, cold future. However, the exhibit also featured softer pieces, such as a pale-coloured printed dress by David Longshaw. A dress that, I thought, might very well fit in on the streets of London today.

Most of the pieces at the exhibit weren’t necessarily things I could imagine myself wearing in the near future, but the shoes were a definite exception. Chau Har Lee is the creator behind the beautiful heels featured at The Future of Fashion. Created out of different materials, including steel, plastic, wood and leather, these shoes are a combination of art and fashion at its best. I can’t imagine these shoes offer a second of comfort, but sometimes it hurts to be beautiful. By the way, for those who just can’t wait for the future, Lee’s shoes can be ordered from the London’s department store Selfridges.

Despite my dreams of looking “fly” like Judy Jetson, the future of the fashion industry seems to be in good hands. I might not have my own future completely mapped out but, at least, I know to start saving my pennies for some killer steel heels.

Christine Cooper is a fashion blogger based in London, UK. Her blog can be found at http://jesuislittlegarcon.blogspot.com/