Twenty-year-old Mariana Fernandes Mira from the Faculdade de Arquitetura da Universidade de Lisboa looks to the future with her project Space Child — not with fear, but with childlike curiosity. Her design is a homage to the optimism of the 1960s, when humanity conquered space and the vision of a bright, technological future was still filled with hope.
“I wanted to imagine a future that is colorful, playful, and bold again — the way children see it before we teach them to be afraid of it,” says Mariana Fernandes Mira.
Inspired by the retrofuturistic spirit that shaped the design, film, and fashion of that era, Mariana Fernandes Mira creates a garment that revives the magic of childhood imagination and the dream of a better world. The look, Head in the Stars, consists of a shirt, a white leather jacket, a tie, two skirts, leg warmers, boots, and a 3D-printed headband.
The light-blue cotton shirt features star-shaped appliqués — a playful reminder of space-bound fantasy. The double-layered skirt combines red cotton with an outer layer of laser-cut leather stars that capture light and movement. The jacket’s clean lines reference 1960s style, while a pink leather star on the back recalls vintage spaceflight emblems.
Some materials were sourced from reused fabrics. Accessories such as the tie and leg warmers were produced on a Kniterate knitting machine, while the headband and star-shaped boot heels were made using 3D printing. In this way, Mariana Fernandes Mira merges traditional craftsmanship with modern technology while emphasizing sustainability.
In the digital space, she recreated her outfit in CLO3D, transferring the physical version — with identical textures and colors — into an animation. Space Child is a playful vision of the future, shaped by courage, color, and imagination.
