Digital Runaways, Catwalk Avatars and AI
Image Courtesy: Graphic Design
Artificial Intelligence, AI, Chatgpt, we’ve heard it, we’ve seen it, and frankly, we’ve used it. AI technologies have speedily gained praise and, consequently, popularity. According to a Deloitte study, over 50% of organizations plan to incorporate the use of AI technologies. The fashion world is not excluded from this. From metaverse fashion shows to fashion’s integration into video games, this industry has taken no hesitation in opening its doors to these kinds of technologies.
2020 was a prime year for digital inventiveness. The pandemic forced physical experiences behind a computer screen. Despite this, fashion designers were not inhibited by this challenge and presented collections on computerized runways. Balenciaga presented their Fall’21 collection of the video game ‘Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow.’ Across this post-apocalyptic world, avatars were seen wearing the collection.
March 24, 2022, the metaverse platform “Decentraland,” hosted its first Metaverse fashion week (MVFW). Decentraland is a virtual reality platform where users can engage in games, trade collectibles, purchase clothes for their avatars and interconnect with one another. Thousands of visitors were able to attend virtual shows, branded afterparties and even buy and wear digital outfits directly from catwalk avatars. Come March 2023, Decentraland hosted another MVFW—this lineup included Dolce & Gabbana, Vogue Singapore, Adidas and others in collaboration with the platform’s community designers.
The metaverse remains young. However, its popularity among young users continues to increase. These young consumers are constructing integrated realities, purchasing digital items and imagining a world beyond what the physical realm can provide. Ultimately, creating their ideal universes. The only condition? Their universe merely exists behind a computer screen. Gucci took a leap into this digital phenomenon and created the “Gucci Garden,” in Roblox. This garden saw 19 million visitors. Likewise, Ralph Lauren partnered with Zapeto to create a virtual fashion collection where users can dress their avatars in exclusive products and/or appearance-altering skins
An industry prioritizing hands-on work is no longer merely dependent on the talents of curated designers, quality of fabrics and editorial talents to produce influential work. While fashion will still rely on the skill set of these personas, it will also hire a new leader —AI. Sep. 13 concluded New York Fashion Week (NYFW). In the midst of a backdrop of celebrity sightings, world-renowned fashion houses and the utter excitement of guests, this week presented SS '24 collections and celebrated the integration of AI into fashion.
Designer Hillary Teymour presented her Collina Strada collection, showcasing the use of AI in her designs to elevate artistic expression. This collection was a testament to the fusion of art and AI. Teymour placed previous Collina Strada collections into an AI model. The model created pieces that hold the Collina Strada spirit. This, with fine-tuning, crafted the SS '24 collection into wearable art.
Teymour explained to Vogue that the Collina Strada team worked back and forth with the AI model, teaching it what they liked and didn’t. Eventually, the results manifested a collection that showcased Collina Strada in a new, creative light.
“The process yielded a set of results that at first may seem like they’re at odds… it distilled the Collina Strada essence into its purest Collina Strada state,” Teymour explained. “It pushed the Collina Strada aesthetic into the most Collina Strada it can be, imagining things beyond what we think is possible in the real world.”
AI technologies have an undeniable influence, pushing the boundaries of creativity and imagination. As the fashion industry pursues its determination to embrace digital innovation and AI, these new creative works will appeal to a new generation of fashion enthusiasts. The fusion of fashion and AI doesn’t replace human creativity. Instead, it will enhance it, offering new perspectives. The integration of AI across designers foreshadows the direction fashion is headed toward — one where creativity has no limits and the runway is infinite.
Strike Out,
Writer: Laila Musleh
Editor: Annika Chaves
Graphic Design: Sheryl Peng
Boston
