Predicting the near future: Polestar and Balenciaga
The near future has been a muse for countless designers. It provides a framework in which creativity can thrive alongside an inbuilt sense of realism. The Polestar Design Contest and Polestar Precept were some of our near-future explorations. “Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow” is one of Balenciaga's. And they've asked Polestar to be a part of it.
Like Balenciaga, Polestar designs the future, innovating and using materials in new ways.
This project showcases the fashion house's Fall '21 collection as seen on the streets of a virtual urban landscape in the year 2031. Accessible and shareable from any device, the game sees the protagonist making their way through different environments, following a narrative based on the theme of the Fall '21 collection: human destiny.
The vehicles traversing those streets will be some of the designs from the 2020 Polestar Design Contest, along with Polestar Precept. “Being fans of cars, we were intrigued by the futuristic vehicles from the Polestar Design Community,” says Balenciaga. “Like Balenciaga, Polestar designs the future, innovating and using materials in new ways.” Balenciaga saw that Polestar was just as engaged in what's around the corner as they were, and thus the partnership was born. “The old notion of premium and luxury is changing,” they continue, “and it was great to partner with Polestar for our Afterworld project.”
The near future is inspirational, in part, because of its close proximity. The predictions aren't outlandish because there's a good chance we'll see them in our lifetimes. As such, they can provide potential solutions to current issues, or show a unique take on contemporary style and technology. They can even show the next steps we might take as a society.
