Zoolander’s Ridiculous Fashion Predictions Were Actually Spot-On

Given the fashion industry’s reputation for chasing extremes, it's no surprise that movies taking aim at it err on the side of ridiculous. Take, for instance, Andy Sachs’ head-to-toe Chanel makeover in The Devil Wears Prada or the sample sale brawl in Confessions of a Shopaholic. But, who would’ve thought that Zoolander, arguably the most exaggerated of them all, would prove to be one of the most accurate? Parody or not, as The Telegraph points out, Ben Stiller’s 2001 comedy actually predicted some real trends we’re seeing 14 years later. Just take “Derelicte,” a collection by feared designer Mugatu (Will Ferrell). He says the concept is "a fashion — a way of life — inspired by the very homeless, the vagrants, the crack whores that make this wonderful city so unique.” While this was obviously a joke in the movie, labels like Vivienne Westwood, Louis Vuitton, and Yohji Yamamoto have each rolled out various “Derelicte”-nodding collections since (with some polarizing and downright offensive results). And, as for Derek Zoolander himself, The Telegraph points out that his love for onesies was clearly ahead of the curve. Cara Delevingne and Katy Perry might be sporting the fleece zip-ups now, but the merman's penguin-patterned suit paved the way. Still, we hesitate to pair this fashion fiction with fact, but one ofThe Telegraph's parallels does give us something to consider: the striking similarity between Mugatu and real life over-the-top designer Jeremy Scott. (Of course, Scott's not using fashion week to mask an evil plot to take over the world — as far as we can tell.) The real question, then, is this: If Mugatu were real, would he and Miley Cyrus be collaborating? (The Telegraph)