Cyberpunk Style: futuristic aesthetics

The cyberpunk style is inspired by big futuristic cities, neon lights and robotics! But that's not all! Cyberpunk is also a movement of thought that questions the future of man and technological advances

The cyberpunk style is ultra trendy. But what really characterizes it? How to respect this science fiction cyberpunk dress codes? What is the cyberpunk history? Get ready to transform yourself into a Cybernetics android!

WHAT IS CYBERPUNK?

Artist credit : Clint Cearley 

The cyberpunk terme symbolizes the hard-science. People leave in a high tech world where humans and machine are evolving. Nature is replaced by robotics. Big multinationals control the world even if some hackers are struggling.

The cyberpunk landscapes represent big metropolises, with screens, neon lights, red or purple colors.

The term "Cyberpunk" means two things:

• Cyber refers to computers, technological advances related to information control and nanotechnology.
• The word "Punk" refers to modern protest. The principle of Cyberpunk is based on a constant struggle against power, against authority, against the state, and against international corporations. Cyberpunk science fiction books and movies are often presented as revolutionaries, rebels, thugs, delinquents or dissidents.
• In fact, the foundations of cyberpunk are based on SF and the world oppressed by a form of dictatorship of the near future. Cyberpunk is linked to computer innovation and moderate transhumanism. You will often see cyborgs (half robot, or half human with implants) in cyberpunk manga or film...

Thus, in cyberpunk movies, individuals are hyper-connected to social networks, to media. This excess of data reception enslaves men and women.

CYBERPUNK ORIGINS: DYSTOPIA DARK FANTASY

Artist credit : Artur Sadlos

Cyberpunk has its origins in science fiction. Bruce Bethke used this word for the first time in 1980 fo one of its novels...

He is an American science fiction author, who wanted to express two common ideas in the same word.

Anarchist behavior (punk) and technological innovation to express a different vision of the future (cyber).

This cyberpunk genre of science fiction comes from the New Wave style which is born in the 60s and 70s. This Sci-fi subgenre is inspired by the social and cultural disruptions of that time.

The lifestyle, the drug addiction, the sexual revolution and the technological progress inspired these authors. Have a look to William Gibson SF books if you enjoy techno and fanctastic fiction genres.

CYBERPUNK VS SOLARPUNK

Artist credit: Tiago Sousa

Solarpunk is a futuristic universe and urban fantasy world. There are influential aspects from Cyber punk. However, in this speculative fiction, the future is optimistic and not tragic...

The solarpunk style is focused on technological development but with respect to nature. This cyberspace is concerned with pollution, carbon emissions, climate change. Thus, this science fantasy culture encourages us to recognize the current situation and look for answers to the problems of our consumer society.

CYBERPUNK STYLE CLOTHING

Cyberpunk is a very popular clothing style within pop culture, in some fashion shows (Prada, Louis-Vuiton, Kenzo), or in video games.

Like Techwear, cyberpunk clothes are practical and resistant. It is a dark, nocturnal and a singularity universe at the same time. Cyberpunk clothes are very popular for cosplay costumes. In Japan, otaku appreciate this style that can be seen in manga

HOW TO DRESS CYBERPUNK?

Cyberpunk outfits are characterized by an avant-garde and creative stylistic clothings. There are many similarities between techwear and cyberpunk clothing such as: 

• Black boots
• Techwear mask or cyberpunk neon colored mask
• Long coat or parka
• Cargo pants
• We advise you to wear a half mask oni for a Neo-Tokyo style for example. But you can also add metal jewelry, flashy glasses etc...

There are others sub-genres styles with similarities to urban techwear as for instance: steampunk fashion, goth style

CYBERPUNK ART STYLE

There are many very good cyberpunk artists. As we described earlier the main colors are purple, blue, black and pink shades. Cyberpunk art creators imagine worlds where technology, screens and lights mix with the dark night of a futuristic megalopolis.

If you search the internet, you will also find cyberpunk typography. This type of writing is inspired by mecha manga...

CYBERPUNK MOVIES

There are many post-apocalyptic and cyberpunk movies. Here is a quick list of movies that have made their mark on cyber culture:

Blade runner by Ridley Scott released in 1982 and inspired by a short-story novel written by Philip K. Dick. The story takes place in Los Angeles. A former policeman pursues androids (robots created in the image of a human being). The futuristic scenario questions what really defines a human being.

Judge Dredd: the human world is destroyed by a nuclear war. In fact, men live in overcrowded and violent mega-cities. The judges are executioners and policemen who fight crime. This film by Dany Cannon is an apology for the cyberpunk worlds of 2139...

The Fifth Element is an SF movie directed by Luc Besson in 1997. The two emblematic characters are Korben Dallas and Leeloo. In 2263, the absolute evil can be defeated only by the fifth element of the alien tribe Mondo Shawn. And this last element is Leeloo that the Taxi driver will protect during the whole movie...

For more recent movies on this theme, there are also Elysum, Matrix, Ready player one (virtual-reality). And for the series. We advise the series Altered Carbon from the novel by Richard K Morgan...

CYBERPUNK MANGAS

Cyber human Motoko Kusanagi (ghost in the shell)

Japanese mangas also integrate the Cyberpunk universe. For example, Akira is a real work broadcast between 1982 and 1989. Thus. The synopsis tells the story of a group of young Japanese delinquents and bikers (bosozoku). The plot of this Japanese animation film takes place in a future Neo-Tokyo. The army carries out strange experiments to bring back to life the mysterious supernatural human Akira...

Ghost in the Shell is an anthology manga from 1989. This Japanese comic book is adapted into anime in 1995. The two main characters are 2 cyborg: Bato and Kusanagi Motoko (alias sergent)...

Motoko's whole body is mechanical and her brain is human. This manga questions the human condition and the philosophy of transhumanism. It is a way of thinking that advocates technological advances to improve the life span (and even prevent death). We find these questions in the Netflix series Altered Carbon.

We also advise you to read the manga Gantz or Blame if you like cyberpunk atmospheres...

CYBERPUNK STYLE GAMES

Cyberpunk 2077 video game with Keanu Reeves

Cyberpunk is a recurrent theme in video games because the style is really fantastic. The RPG game Cyberpunk 2077 is perfect if you want to have the role of an iconic character in an open world.

Deus Ex is a video game using cyberpunk style. The main protagonist is also a cyborg with nano robots. He has implant in order to improve his eyes vision and survive in this military science fiction world.

CYBERPUNK: NEAR-FUTURE OR DYSTOPIAN FUTURE?

Cyberpunk science fiction asks big questions about the future of humanity. What will be the future of the world if our society persists in these excesses of mining, wars, increased crime, deforestation, overpopulation, addiction to social networks and new technologies?

To express all these issues, there are people who are fans of this avant-garde style straight from the future. Cyberpunk is the best way to mix quality techwear with futuristic design... So join the ranks of the cyber futurist style.