Raun LaRose Goes Back to the Future for His 80's, Tech-Inspired Collection

If Kip's soulful crooning about his love for technology at the end of Napoleon Dynamite was a precursor to our embrace of capitalistic desires for gadgetry, Raun LaRose's spring '18 show was the fashionable takedown of tech one garment at a time. For his System Down collection, the 29-year-old designer went back to the future for an overstated, '80s-inspired show.

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Wall Street greed, Silicon Valley origins, and the technology boom provided a stark mood board to reflect on the tight grip of tech on modern society. Corporate power suits, bomber jackets, graphic tees, and wide-leg trousers received a notable upgrade with the help of Portuguese artist Jose Cunha, whose graphic designs on the garments were inspired by error messages from old, malfunctioning computers. With many models outfitted in oversized glasses, the short-trousers and boxy silhouettes found a modern, science fiction flair thanks to a range of metallic and inorganic fabrics.

"As technology progresses... we as a people disconnect," LaRose told VICE. "I wanted to trace back to when the start of the tech wave began in the '80s. With the combination of fashion becoming such a consumerist market and creativity or expression being a by-factor, I found it important to express my feelings toward that by just creating what I wanted versus what the system tells us to."

Photography: Monet Lucki / Creative: Raul Guerrero