How fashion weeks in 2015 converted runway into a time machine

We're obsessed with labelling time. As far as fashion is concerned, we've labelled the past century into bite-size decades of style. There are trends from the '20s, '60s, '80s; colours have been "so-right-now", a dress that's lost favour "so-2008", a look vintage, retro, futuristic, nostalgic, classic - the 20th century idea that a decade can be historical entities in itself has become a reality, and designer labels have used it for the inspiration and presentation of their seasonal creations.

From the fashion weeks at New York, Paris, Milan, Mumbai and New Delhi, it's evident that looking at the past and the future is the norm of the season. One of the raging trends on the runway has been the return of the '70s, with flared jeans, suede overcoats, flower power and paisley printed dresses and kimonos. Everyone from Diane Von Furstenburg to Giambattista Valli, Manish Arora, BCBG Max Azria, and Hemant & Nandita have swung back in time and revived hippie memories on their 21st century models.

The other style du jour has been the ultra clean and structured silhouettes that rally behind the precision of technology. There's a futuristic approach to the style, with sci-fi-esque simulation and sculptural details that would make even Fritz Lang proud. Gaurav Gupta went the whole hog with his finale collection at Lakme Fashion Week in August, while Namrata Joshipura made ear-cuffs and a spinal cord with LED lights for hers. Fractured sounds of a TV's hiss, a rocket launch and clanking metal have become background music for some international and upcoming designers.

In his press note, artistic director of Dior, Raf Simons said about the S/S 2016 Dior show that was held in Paris last week, "There are literal layers of the past… But for me it still all feels oddly futuristic and strangely romantic. Like this woman is about to travel through space and time."

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This is a statement in itself, considering the collection is made for the wearer of today. It's a post-modern environment for fashion, alright, and the pendulum of inspiration is swinging strong on the runway as historical references are made without baggage. The current "decade" of fashion seems to be travelling the route of a "global ethnic" movement - with recovery of traditional handicrafts on new silhouettes, as seen in Rahul Mishra's show in Paris last week - juxtaposed with an architectural contour of the body.

While the past and future coalesce in the fashionista's closet, the present moment remains as fleeting as ever. With the explosion of fashion on the runway and internet, there will be more to assimilate just as you grasp one style.

Add to that the new model of fashion weeks that seem to replicate a Google search page, with too many options. The showstopper cannot distil the show into a pivotal point, because barely do the senses recover from one spectacle it is met with another.

The images, trends and stars that become iconic in our minds are those who grasp the essence of being present in the present.

Perhaps that is why the image of an elderly woman at Johnny Depp's movie premiere in Boston has gone viral on the internet. She is seen standing in a crowd that grapples with their smartphone cameras for a picture of the actor. This poignant image refines the past, present and future into one. It is then that the visual medium transcends time.

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