Irenebrination: Notes on Architecture, Art, Fashion, Fashion Law, Science & Technology

Carrying Identity: The Symbolism of Bags, from Lavish to (Lavishly) Microscopic

Between 2018 and 2019 there was a proliferation of oversized jacket and big bag memes, with Instagram accounts altering puffer jackets, sneakers and bags donned by models to gargantuan proportions, taking them to an entirely new and comical level.

At the time Opening Ceremony also launched the "Super Large Tote", a giant yellow PVC tote bag that obliged fashionistas carrying them to negotiate doors and entrances (posts on social media of people at platform barriers in underground stations were comical). At the moment, though, rather than super-large bags, there seems to be a fad for extremely expensive bags.  Sotheby's has several on offer, from Virgil Abloh's Louis Vuitton monogram Airplane Bag (A/W 21), that you can buy for $60.000 USD, to an entire auction of Louis Vuitton Artycapucines.

The one-off auction features 22 artist-designed Artycapucines bags, each sold in a custom Monogram canvas Boîte Chapeau. Both bag and hat box are signed by the respective artist who created the piece. 

The list of artists comprises Amélie Bertrand, Daniel Buren, Sam Falls, Urs Fischer, Donna Huanca, Huang Yuxing, Peter Marino, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Paola Pivi, Ugo Rondinone, Jonas Wood, and Zhao Zhao, among the others. Louis Vuitton will donate the net proceeds of the sale to a diverse range of charities and NGOs, chosen by the respective artists.

Bidding for each bag starts at €16,000 and bags will be exhibited to the public at a special Louis Vuitton presentation at Sotheby's Paris from tomorrow to 5th July, providing an arty distraction (or a shopping occasion...) for the guests of the Haute Couture shows.

But extremely expensive handbags are not just on sale at dedicate auctions: on Louis Vuitton’s menswear runway models carried several large bags, but the current creative director of menswear Pharrell Williams, often appeared at the recent menswear shows in Paris carrying a $1 Million Louis Vuitton Speedy.

Dubbed the "Millionaire" the bag, part of his S/S 24 Louis Vuitton collection, is crafted from yellow crocodile skin and emblazoned with the brand’s signature monogram pattern.

But, to justify its name and price, it also features a chunky gold chain and diamond-covered details, and a diamond padlock. At the shows, Williams accessorized his looks with the bag and with a new version of his trademark custom-made Tiffany & Co. sunglasses, reinvented and slightly changed to include 20 carats of diamonds.

But there is another trend as well when it comes to bags - miniature ones: Jacquemus leads the way in terms of mini-bags that can contain just a lipstick or a ring (but, if you're a Barbie doll, you can stil use them to go to the gym…). In Jacquemus' A/W 23 collection bags resembled keychains rather than traditional handbags.

MSCHF recently took to the extremes the concept of miniature bag: after the outlandishly cartoonish, comically bold and dangerously abstract Astroboy boots that broke the Internet (and that were reinvented in their yellow hybrid version combining MSCHF's Astroboy boot and a pair of Crocs' clogs View this photo), the New York-based conceptual art collective took things further with a micro bag.

Measuring just 657 by 222 by 700 microns (0.657 mm by 0.222 mm by 0.700 mm) and therefore being barely visible to the human eye, the fluorescent green bag based on a popular Louis Vuitton design (the "OnTheGo" tote) sold this week at an online auction hosted by Joopiter (an online auction house founded by Pharrell Williams) for over $63,000.

According to MSCHF the bag is narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle and is smaller than a grain of sea salt.

The object was made using two-photon polymerization, a manufacturing technology used to 3D-print micro-scale plastic parts and it was sold alongside a microscope equipped with a digital display through which the bag can be viewed.

MSCHF is known for a wide range of interventions engaging fashion, art and technology (you may remember their controversial "Satan Shoes" that attracted Nike's ire or their "Cease & Desist Grand Prix").

A statement published on the collective's Instagram page stated: "As a once-functional object like a handbag becomes smaller and smaller its object status becomes steadily more abstracted until it is purely a brand signifier".

"Previous small leather handbags have still required a hand to carry them - they become dysfunctional, inconveniences to their 'wearer,'" a statement accompanying the listing added. "'Microscopic Handbag' takes this to its full logical conclusion. A practical object is boiled down into jewelry, all of its putative function evaporated; for luxury objects, usability is the angels' share."

MSCHF's provocative concept prioritizes aesthetics over usability, drawing a parallel between luxury goods and the concept of the angels' share, where a portion of a substance (such as whisky) evaporates during maturation, leaving behind a more refined and coveted essence. So this project prompts us to reconsider the inherent value we attribute to everyday objects, questioning the extent to which luxury can supersede utility in the realm of fashion and design.

Besides, while for most of us ordinary people and average consumers, it is easy to consider these ultra-expensive items as simply ridiculous and slightly immoral too, we should maybe use them to ponder more about fashion and the creation of a fashionable identity, maybe with the help of Erwin Wurm's series of bag sculptures with elongated legs, such as "Step" (2021).

Part of Wurm's investigation into the anthropomorphic qualities of objects, these designer bags with legs draw attention to their function as vessels for our possessions and as powerful symbols of social and cultural identity. Our choice of clothing and accessories influences indeed not only our own perception of ourselves but also how we are perceived by others. So the next time we see a celebrity carrying one of these extravagantly lavish bags, we should pause and reflect on whether we feel the bag completes a look or an identity and maybe wonder if they are carrying the bag or if, in fact, the bag is carrying them.

Human-Machine Collisions in AI-Influenced Fashion Collections

Last year scientists found out that the Earth rotation is changing speed and setting on a faster rhythm. Many experts believe that this change of rhythm is due to the glaciers melting as a result of climate change.

Who knows, maybe this is the reason why we get the impression that our lives are on a super-fast track and sometimes we feel time is slipping from our hands. Technology also contributes to suck us into this relentlessly fast vortex, with innovative applications, tools, systems and gadgets being released on a constant basis.

In the show notes to his S/S 24 menswear collection, Walter Van Beirendonck invited his guests to consider the fast rhythms we are living in, but also the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

"Where are the machines taking us?" he wondered. "The world around us is transforming at breakneck speed and it feels like we're being used as crash test dummies."

Equally attracted and worried about this acceleration in our lives, the Belgian designer expressed this dichotomy in his clothes via protective gear such as cocooning padded designs, see-through hazmat suits and red and white or yellow and black hazard stripes indicating danger and reminding the wearer to stay safe.

Crash dummy symbols also appeared in some of the garments, creating alarming contrasts with more romantic moods conjured up via see-through dresses and shirts characterized by relaxed silhouettes. The symbols hinted at a metaphor: we are like crash test dummies and our existences are constantly challenged by a variety of threats, by a state of permanent crisis, by wars and viruses.

Hazard stripes were also transformed into graphic motifs, almost an alien alphabet, as indicated in the show notes, revealing the inspiration behind the collection - Dawleetoo.

The alleged golden city situated in the Sumatra rainforest, was believed to be visited by explorer Alfred Isaac Middleton in the late 1800s. According to the tale, Middleton buried his excavated treasures from the city in a casket before mysteriously vanishing. However, this is a hoax, a story told via sepia-toned AI fabricated images that continue to circulate online. Through this tale, Van Beirendonck tackled the daily struggle to distinguish reality from fiction, telling us that navigating the present is increasingly challenging.

Overwhelmed and deeply disturbed by the worlds generated by AI, Van Beirendonck tried to envision a world where machines and humans can still coexist, but the show closed with his models wearing spray-painted dry-cleaning bags adorned with skeletons, evoking a sense of concern, maybe hinting at the suffocating impact of violence, wars, ongoing crises, racism, and murders on our lives.

The designer wasn't the only one pondering about speed, humans, machines and AI this season.

On Monday at the New York Public Library, Marc Jacobs, whose shows were never terribly short nor on time, dramatically reduced his A/W 23 runway to a super-fast show presenting just 29 looks in roughly three minutes.

Fashion is relentless, so the metaphor worked, but there was also another message here. Jacobs looked at the '80s, a decade he explored in previous collections (A/W 2018 and 2019), with mini-dresses matched with black stockings to the calf, white ankles socks and flat pointy-toed shoes.

Variations were provided by draped looks with strong shoulders at times evoking the costumes in William Cameron Menzies's black-and-white science fiction film "Things To Come" (1936).

A gold blouse with harem pants filtered Poiret through the '80s, while geometries inspired circular bras and boxy mannish jackets. The models' chopped hairstyle conjured up visions of Daryl Hannah as Pris in "Blade Runner" and maybe that's where the second metaphor came from.

In the movie, Pris is portrayed as a "basic pleasure model" Nexus-6 replicant who joins a group of escaped replicants seeking extended lifespans from the Tyrell Corporation.

Pris is actually human, but, following an injury, she is revived using spare replicant components, resulting in her becoming mute and exhibiting animalistic behavior.

Pris’ metaphor works well for the collection and for fashion as well: like her group of replicants, Jacobs was maybe asking for a longer lifespan for collections.

Nowadays, the thrill surrounding a show only lasts indeed for a few hours and the collection showcased becomes immediately old the moment Instagram gets flooded by the next event, the next celebrity in the front row, the next It bag, and the next content posted by an eager influencer.

Everything gets consumed, chewed and spat in a matter of a few hours rather than weeks and months. It's obvious that this is frustrating for creative minds working in all sorts of industries, and Jacobs is probably not the only designer feeling like a pleasure model replicant being considered obsolete.

Pris also reunites in herself the human and the replicant nature and Jacobs played with these two aspects letting ChatGPT writing the notes for his show.

"The Marc Jacobs fashion show captivated audiences with its innovative approach to blending menswear-inspired tailoring with feminine aesthetics," ChatGPT wrote.

"The collection showcased impeccably tailored suits designed exclusively for women, accompanied by flat shoes, black tights and stunning altered gowns. The predominantly black and white palette created a striking visual impact, emphasizing the timeless elegance and versatility of monochrome fashion."

The prompt given must have been purposefully bland, as the notes contained repetitions that the bot may have avoided if somebody had engaged with it in a better way.

The tone was also grand and bombastic and lacked emotion, but maybe it reminded us that this is where we're heading with show reviews becoming useless, fashion critics becoming extinct and journalism being under pressure by the cost-cutting drive that is killing staff at a variety of publications.

Jacobs wasn't the only one that opted for show notes written by ChatGPT: also Guram Gvasalia turned to Artificial Intelligence for his S/S 24 Vêtements collection.

For Bruno Munari imagination was a tool to visualize things and Gvasalia, who directs the label since his brother Demna stepped down in 2019 to focus on his collections at Balenciaga, interpreted AI as a tool that allows people to envision previously unimaginable things.

The designs in Vêtements' S/S 24 collection were therefore intended as IRL garments that emulate the appearance and sensation of an AI-generated image.

Margiela came (obviously) into the equation: the Belgian designer S/S 1997 iconic canvas mannequin waistcoat that looked like the body of a tailor's dummy (Stockmans) (and that Margiela used to transform the foundation into the outerwear and the body into the dress and to question the logic and techniques of tailoring and pattern cutting) was reinvented in this collection.

In one instance it was turned into a body suit, or was transformed into gigantic gowns (besides, the models wearing beige masks and body stockings resembled dress-fitting mannequins).

According to Gvasalia, though, there are differences between that original design and these ones (why does he sound like Odie Cologne telling King Leonardo in that '60s cartoon series "But this is a special one" as the king gets the umpteenth television set?).

The dummy looking designs in this collection feature indeed a high-tech 3D scan of a tailor's dummy printed on sustainable double stretch fabric. The gowns made with this technique were also partially remixed with the massive stretch panné velvet ball gown designed by Demna for Balenciaga's S/S 20 collection.

Guram transformed the latter making them bigger: this adjective actually turned into the keyword for the entire collection that also included oversized sweatshirts, hoodies, bombers, coats, pantsuits, jeans, necklaces with huge pendants and even high visibility safety clothing, in an attempt to imitate the proportions of virtual and digital garments.

Gvasalia also collaborated with Elie Saab for sequined mermaid dresses and T-shirt gowns with skirts characterized by an exaggerated six-meter circumference.

Despite Gvasalia seemed more interested in proving the artisanal skills of the collection, a hoodie featuring the words "Wikipedia Editor" reshifted the attention onto digital media, and was used to point at the designer's desire to alter the label’s history and contribute something new to fashion.

This may actually be rather difficult when you think that other designers, Margiela included, created oversized collections.

In more recent years Anrealage came up with a collection (A/W 19) that played on proportions in a clever way, but, in this case Gvasalia simply moved from the popular 2018-2019 memes of celebrities in gargantuan puffer jackets, an idea then lifted by Jeremy Scott in Moschino's Pre-Fall 2020 and Fall 2020 menswear collections (the massive puffer jackets in this S/S 24 collection seem very similar to the ones in Moschino's collections that were in turn inspired by the memes).

In the end, Vêtements' collection wasn’t desperately new nor innovative, but it actually felt like Gvasalia had fun using the "/blend" function on Midjourney, haphazardly collaging different inspirations from previous collections by other designers together.

The three designers featured in this post all acknowledged the arrival of AI on the scene in their own ways. Maybe Van Beirendonck provided a more poignant observation, shedding light on how AI-generated images can create fake worlds and deceive us, but also using red/white and yellow/black stripes to warn us about the perils of the digital world. Jacobs’ metaphors about replicants wanting to extend their lifespans and the fast-paced nature of the industry also proved to be intriguing concepts, perhaps more so than the actual garments.

As for the press releases using ChatGPT, well, none of the designers fully explored the potential of AI (it is possible that they intentionally limited the capabilities of ChatGPT to demonstrate its inability to generate original fashion texts effectively).

As AI rapidly evolves it will be interesting to track its influence in future collections and to see if it will be employed to some extent also in Haute Couture designs. For the time being, the future of AI in the fashion industry remains uncertain, but its presence and potential are undeniable as it is already making an impact beyond the mere generation of images for prints, patterns and advertisements.

From an Artificial Intelligence Augmented Campaign, A Parable for Companies Adopting AI in a Cost-Saving Drive

In February, the CEO of multinational digital and popular periodical publishing house Axel Springer SE, Mathias Döpfner, announced a radical restructuring at German leading tabloid Bild. The restructuring plans became clearer last week when it was revealed that there will be a €100m cost-cutting plan that will result in approximately 200 job redundancies.

The layoffs are partly due to tasks that can now be performed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automated processes in the digital world. However, while AI will be used for numerous tasks in the newsroom, the initial job cuts are allegedly primarily associated with a restructuring of Bild's regional newspaper business and not directly related to AI implementation.

The cost-cutting measures at Bild are indeed also part of broader efforts to improve the company's financial performance and recover from recent scandals, including allegations of covering up misconduct (in October 2021 former editor Julian Reichelt was fired after sexual misconduct and bullying claims) and attempts to influence elections (in April this year Döpfner had to apologise after leaked messages suggested that he attempted to utilize Bild to influence the results of Germany's recent election and conveyed his personal opinions through the newspaper, criticizing climate change activism, COVID measures, and former Chancellor Angela Merkel).

That said, months ago, Döpfner had already emphasized the company's shift towards digital media and acknowledged the potential of AI to enhance journalism. Other publishers, like BuzzFeed and the UK's Daily Mirror and Daily Express, are also exploring the integration of AI in their operations. Nonetheless, the role of AI in replacing or improving journalism remains a topic of debate.

In April this year, Die Aktuelle magazine faced criticism for publishing an AI-generated "interview" with Formula One legend Michael Schumacher, who has been out of the public eye since suffering a severe brain injury in a skiing accident in 2013. The magazine's editor was dismissed, and legal action was taken by Schumacher's family. 

The decisions to cut jobs in favour of AI are often dubious first of all because while AI has the ability to streamline certain tasks, it is incapable of entirely supplanting human abilities; second, we should make sure to learn how to use AI optimally in a variety of industries before deciding to cut jobs or relying completely on this technology. Recent use of AI in advertising, for example, demonstrated some limitations in harnessing the full potential of AI.

Materials science brand Pangaia recently teamed up with stylist and former editor at large of Italy's L'Uomo Vogue Robert Rabensteiner for an after-bath capsule collection. The latter includes designs that may be handy at the poolside, the spa or on a boat, so bathrobes, ponchos, kaftans, towels, slides as well as tote bags and headbands (one of them looking like Prada's popular thick headbands) in organic cotton terrycloth. Alledgely super absorbent, lightweight and soft (ordinary attributes for terrycloth...), the collection has a "state-of-the-art odor control treatment, PPRMINT™ Oil" (gotta love the level of pretentiousness here...), which reduces the need for frequent washing.

The collection comes in a pastel palette of lemon yellow, baby blue and pink, renamed for the occasion Los Angeles Yellow, Riviera Blue and Porto Pink (disappointing to see that Bellini Apricot is missing from the list, this fictitious shade may have added another level of chromatic pretentiousness...).  

The collection is available on Pangaia's e-commerce, retailing between 90 euros for the beach tote and 195 euros for the headband (maybe it's a sentient headband or has special powers like instantly curing migraines, but it's cheaper than Prada's terrycloth headbands retailing at €527... View this photo). 

But the most surprising thing about this story is not the pompous tone accompanying the capsule collection, but the actual campaign. In an attempt to recreate the hype around Maison Meta's AI campaign for Moncler, Pangaia turned indeed to the same agency that employed the same tool, with rather dubious results.

AI is usually employed to generate either fantastic images or pictures that look real, but that have a whimsical quality about them that destabilizes that reality, giving the picture a disturbing, fun or dreamy twist or adding an eerie atmosphere to the overall composition.

In this collection of scenarios we encounter a series of situations featuring AI generated spaces and models that leave you cold, from a couple embracing with the arm of the man squeezing the waist of the woman in an unnatural way, to a young man with a slightly oversized Dalmatian dog on his leash, his fingers reminding a bit of the nightmarish fingers generated by Midjourney only a few months ago; from a woman relaxing with cucumber slices on her eyes and a curiously oversized foot in the foreground, to a man with a stalk of celery in his mouth partially submerged in a shallow pond (perhaps an ill-executed homage to Brioni's extravagant show at Waldorf Astoria in 1964?), next to him a small table with what looks like a small and flat (rather than three-dimensional) pink typewriter.

Maybe the intention was to generate the vision of a cool dandy here, but the whole scene looks rather bizarre and not in a good way. Curiously, instead of evoking eccentricity like many AI generated images do - something that typically elicits amusement, smiles and intrigue - this campaign somehow fails to resonate and leaves you indifferent.

Interesting how an editor and stylist who has collaborated with photographers including Deborah Turbeville, Juergen Teller, Nathanial Goldberg and Pierpaolo Ferrari, and who allegedly fantasised about fancy locations from Porto Ercole to the Beverly Hills Hotel, from Ibiza to Greece while "designing" this capsule collection, agreed to see the products he created advertised by such a campaign.

There are actually hundreds if not thousands of AI artists on Instagram coming up with astonishing AI generated worlds and images that could have done better than the images in this campaign that, while not looking as mysterious, bizarre or disturbing as last year's examples of AI campaigns, at the same time do not seem to be as polished as the images done for other campaigns using AI. In brief, the images lack desirability.

So, who do you blame when you get something like this, Artificial Intelligence or the prompt engineer?

Well, you could blame it on Mode Collapse, that imbalance in the training data and insufficient model capacity, that creates something limited, lacking diversity or variety. But you could also blame it on the human input. 

After all, to create a truly unique image from a text, a prompt engineer needs more than just a few words, they must indeed have a vision, a decent wage and must be willing to spend hours to refine the several images generated that will eventually lead to the desired results. In a nutshell, when AI underperforms or creates uninteresting images it is the fault of AI and of the prompt. In this case, though, there is an aggravating variable: the product. The capsule collection is indeed simply weak.

Pangaia prides itself in being innovative: the material science company developed in the past Flwrdwn (down-fill made of wildflowers) and C-Fiber T-shirt (a blend of eucalyptus pulp and seaweed powder).

Last year it announced its "Re-color" capsule, with garments dyed with the brand's own textile offcuts using patented Recycrom technology (a patented process from Italian textile chemical company Officina+39) that transforms textile waste into a fine pigment powder. Now, if they want to be sustainable and they are looking for better answers to environmentally harmful fashion, the ultimate solution would actually be to stop producing useless collections.  Another solution is producing collections in collaboration with real designers rather than celebrity guests. And, if you must use AI, use it cleverly. There's nothing worse than abusing a powerful system to create useless images.

What has this advertising story got to do with journalism? Well, it is clear that, while Artificial Intelligence does possess immense potential and capabilities, AI alone cannot work wonders unless there is a remarkable product to advertise and a dedicated individual with knowledge, a fair wage and a reasonable deadline to create and refine the visuals accompanying it.

The same principle applies to journalism: while AI can assist in generating synonyms, swiftly rewriting news articles from agencies, and summarizing documents, it cannot come up with an investigation. If a narrative lacks content it fails to engage readers, just like this campaign fails to engage consumers. Besides, if the publication featuring it doesn't have any pride in its staff, it is also bound to fail.

So this advertising story serves as a noteworthy example to ponder about the discourse surrounding AI, but should also prompt (pun intended) those individuals in authoritative positions to consider the actual implications and applications of AI in our daily lives before cutting jobs indiscriminately.

As for Artificial Intelligence, who knows, maybe one day it will become so powerful to say to a brand trying to come up with an AI generated campaign "You have created a useless collection, I refuse to generate from your prompt an image to promote it". I'm actually eager to see that day.

From Shoreline Habitats to Coordinated Matrixes, Micro-Architectures Can Be and Inspiration for Knitwear &Textiles

Design can help us finding solutions for a variety of issues, including coastal squeeze. This geographic process occurs when rising sea levels and human coastal development combine to reduce the available space for intertidal habitats.

As global heating causes sea levels to rise, the low-water marks where the tide recedes and exposes mud and rocks are pushed further inland. At the same time, humans construct hard coastal structures like sea walls to protect themselves from rising water levels and storms.

The consequence of coastal squeeze is that the intertidal habitats - areas between land and sea that are exposed and then submerged by tides and that support a diverse range of marine species such as barnacles, limpets, crabs, starfish, and snails - becomes progressively smaller. The reduction in available space and habitat can have a detrimental impact on the wildlife that relies on these intertidal areas for survival.

Different companies and organisations launched a variety of solutions to this problem, from artificial basin-like concrete vertical rockpools providing safe shelter for sea life, to eco-engineered breakwater blocks.

Living Seawalls in Sydney combined industrial design techniques with ecological research to create ornate reinforced concrete panels from 3D printed moulds that form complex habitat geometries and mimic rocky shorelines.

These bespoke habitats available in 10 designs are aesthetically pleasing: attached to coastal structures in various countries, they look like decorative elements with an intriguing pattern, but they do have instead a function being examples of micro-architectures that offer a safe haven to various marine species.

But micro-architectures are trending: architecture studio Low Design Office, which has locations in Austin, Texas, and Tema, Ghana, focuses on exploring local material ecologies in small-scale architecture and in developing micro­infrastructures that interoperate at the scale between furniture and architecture.

Their projects range from simple canopy tabletops and micro-enterprises serviced by umbrellas to home businesses in sheds or kiosks. These initiatives, along with roadside and cottage industries, create a widespread network of regenerative infrastructure that empowers communities economically.

By combining design and engineering on a smaller scale, Low Design Office promotes a model of self-construction that transforms kiosk culture into a transformative infrastructure for African urban and rural areas.

One of their initiatives, the Agbogbloshie Makerspace Platform (AMP), in collaboration with Panurban, a French design consultancy, revolves around the transformation of the Agbogbloshie scrapyard - located behind the Agbogbloshie Market, Onion Market and Yam Market on Abose-Okai Road in Accra, Ghana.

Agbogbloshie serves as a hub for dismantling, sorting, and processing various types of scrap, including aeronautical, automotive, electronic (e-scrap), domestic waste, glass, metal, and plastics.

Around 6,000 to 10,000 individuals, engage in the scrap trade, dismantling and processing a wide range of items each year (from batteries and fans to toasters, microwaves, washing machines, fridges, televisions, computers, laptops and mobile phones, just to mention a few ones).

While some perceive Agbogbloshie as a toxic e-waste dump, others view it as an urban-scale open-air manufacturing space. It functions indeed as an action-oriented maker ecosystem where materials and components salvaged from end-of-life equipment are utilized to create new products. AMP seeks to learn from Agbogbloshie's practices and explore its potential as a model for micro-industrial ecosystems with broader applications.

AMP also offers open solutions for crafting space, compact architectures such as the Maker Kiosks (modular and prefabricated structures), Maker Kits (customizable and portable kits), and a Mobile App for makers. All these systems empower individuals to customize their environment.

One of these solutions is a prototype modular, mobile and kinetic spacecraft that has the capability of replicating itself forming coordinated matrixes.

The structure consists of two semi-octet truss frames equipped with bifold hangar doors, installed on recycled tire foundation pads constructed on-site.

The ongoing components of this project are showcased in an installation entitled "Enviromolecular" on display in the Arsenale section at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice (until 26th November).

The installation showcases a demonstration of the modular spacecraft, along with the researches and drawings that contributed to its creation. Like the geometries forming the intertidal habitats mentioned earlier, the configurations of these modular environments are particularly intriguing. Besides, both solutions can be categorized as micro-architectures with a compact and functional design. 

Micro-architectures can actually be a great inspiration for both knitwear and textiles as they can generate innovative and visually striking patterns.

Actually, architectural patterns will be fashionable come next season: Kim Jones' included in his S/S 24 menswear collection for Dior (showcased last week at the École Militaire in Paris) several geometrical patterns.

One of the notable features of the show was an architectural element with models emerging from hidden trapdoors on the catwalk. The models patiently awaited their turn to walk, then returned to their spot and disappeared again.

Dior's trademark cannage pattern was reinvented and was prominently featured throughout the show. The pattern appeared in various forms, from the marled jacquard cannage knits in vibrant colors to the tweed sweater vests, jackets and shorts and was also employed to create three-dimensional patterns on leather bags.

The cannage pattern holds significance as it was inspired by the Napoleon III-style woven rattan chairs that Christian Dior himself used for guests during his inaugural salon show at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris in 1947. Since then, it has become an integral part of the house's design language.

The cannage pattern, resembling a geometric lattice or diamond-shaped stitching, was initially utilized in Dior's accessories collection, particularly on handbags (one of the most famous iterations of the pattern is seen on the Lady Dior bag, which was introduced in 1995).

Over the years, the cannage pattern has undergone numerous transformations, showcasing its versatility across colors, materials, and scales within the maison's product range. In this particular collection, this motif derived from an interior design element turns into an architectural pattern.

This reinterpretation exemplifies the potential for creative exploration and innovation within the realm of small-scale constructions, inviting us to delve deeper into the world of experimental and sustainable micro-architectures and discover more captivating patterns that can inspire and elevate a fashion design.

When Ultra-Fast Fashion Inspires Fake Investigations, Fresh Architectural Perspectives on Investigative Journalism Are Needed

Nowadays, there are varying perspectives on the methods for generating rigorous knowledge. In the past 15 years, for example, the landscape of fashion reporting has undergone significant changes. While fashion has never prioritized excessive objectivity, there used to be dependable fashion critics who were occasionally excluded from runway shows due to their objective viewpoints.

The emergence of bloggers brought a new but short-lived perspective: as fashion houses recognized their ability to wield influence and started co-opting them, and many early fashion bloggers transitioned into becoming influencers, this fresh perspective was indeed discarded. Invitations to shows, complimentary travel and accommodations, and the receipt of gifts greased the wheels so effectively that it is rare to find influencers who criticize fashion houses, collections, or shows.

However, this strategy of co-opting people is not exclusive to luxury brands; other companies are also adopting it.

Chinese fast-fashion company Shein, for instance, recently invited a group of influencers to tour one of their modern factories in China.

This practice follows a prevalent trend where luxury brands have started showcasing their artisanal credentials by inviting journalists and influencers, to visit their factories or attend events and shows held at these locations. The most recent example was Fendi during Pitti Uomo.

This practice has gained popularity as it allows fashion houses to demonstrate their dedication to craftsmanship, present a positive image of their workforce, and highlight their advanced facilities equipped with modern technology and environmentally friendly practices.

The problem with these visits, however, lies in the fact that, even in the best facilities, organisers only offer a carefully curated glimpse of what the brands want the public to see.

Shein, a company known for its questionable ethical practices, joined the trend of inviting influencers to tour their factories as a means to enhance its image.

Previously, Shein has faced criticism for a variety of unethical practices, these include poor working conditions, the presence of high levels of toxic chemicals in their clothing, plagiarism of designs from independent creators (from fashion and graphic designers to photographers), and mishandling of customer data.

The company organized a sponsored trip for a group of American influencers to visit their warehouses in China, perhaps assuming that these influencers and their followers would easily believe their deceptive tactics. This strategy partially succeeded, as the influencers indeed fell for it.

However, the posts made by Dani Carbonari and other influencers such as Destene Sudduth, Aujené, Fernanda Stephany Campuzano, Kenya Freeman, and Marina Saavedra triggered doubts and outrage among followers who seemed more knowledgeable about Shein's history and less gullible than the influencers.

Most of the influencers' posts expressed a similar sentiment, emphasizing how they were misled with false information about the company and expressing astonishment at the state-of-the-art, pristine facilities they visited, including the so-called "Shein Innovation Center." In reality, this factory is just one out of approximately 6,000 factories utilized by Shein, as reported by Time magazine.

Beauty influencer, plus-size model and self-described "confidence activist", Dani Carbonari (Dani DMC) was under fire after posting an enthusiastic video, showing people sewing and ironing garments, and packages being sorted in a fully-automated facility.

Commenting the images, the influencer stated: "I was able to interview a woman that worked in the fabric cutting department. You guys know me, [I'm] an investigative journalist' I asked her all of our questions she answered them honestly and authentically." According to the influencer the woman was "very surprised at all the rumours that have been spread in the US". The influencer also added, "She told me about her family, her lifestyle, her commute, her hours".

"I think my biggest takeaway from this trip was to be an independent thinker, get the facts, and see it with your own two eyes," Carbonari concludes in her video. "There's a narrative fed to us in the US and I'm one that always likes to be open-minded and seek the truth. So, I'm grateful for that about myself, and I hope the same for you guys."

The influencers' feedback regarding Shein raised concerns due to its overly positive and defensive nature towards the company, especially when compared to investigations and reports about Shein made in different countries and not just in the US.

A Swiss watchdog group called Public Eye conducted an investigation in 2021 focusing on 17 factories that supply products to Shein. The findings revealed that employees often worked in unsafe environments. Workers interviewed during the investigation disclosed that they worked up to 75 hours per week with only one day off per month. Additionally, the factories lacked emergency exits, and windows were barred, posing significant risks in case of a fire. Moreover, the workers reported not having employment contracts, which is a violation of labor laws in China.

In a documentary titled "Inside the Shein Machine," aired by Channel 4 in the UK last year, investigative journalist Imani Amrani uncovered further details about Shein's business practices.

An undercover worker filmed inside two factories in Guangzhou, a city located about 80 miles northwest of Hong Kong, which supplies clothing to Shein. In one factory, workers received a monthly base salary of 4,000 yuan (approximately $556) but were required to produce 500 clothing pieces per day. Their first month's pay was withheld, while in another factory, workers earned as little as four cents per item. These employees worked exhausting 18-hour shifts and were granted only one day off per month. The documentary also revealed instances where workers were penalized by losing two-thirds of their daily wage for making mistakes on clothing items. These reported working hours and conditions are again in violation of labor laws in China.

There is actually another problem with Shein as it may be using cotton from Xianjiang: in November 2022, Bloomberg published a report revealing that Shein's garments contained cotton sourced from Xinjiang, a region in China that has been a subject of controversy.

The Chinese government has consistently denied accusations of human rights organizations, activists, and United Nations rights experts saying that China operates mass detention camps, engaging in forced labor practices, and implementing sterilization measures against Uyghur women in Xinjiang. The Chinese government always asserted that these camps serve as education and training centers aimed at combating extremism. However, reports indicate that since 2017, Chinese authorities have detained approximately one million Uyghurs, subjecting them to forced labor.

In 2021, companies like H&M and Nike made public statements on their websites acknowledging the use of forced labor in cotton production within China's Xinjiang province.

The United States State Department banned cotton imports from Xinjiang in 2021 with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), that was approved by the Senate and Congress in 2021 and signed into law by US President Joe Biden a year ago, in June 2022.

Yet, to uncover the problems with Shein, you probably don't even need to watch a documentary or do an in-depth research on forced labour. Two simple factors speak indeed volumes: the incredibly low prices and the sheer quantity of items available on Shein's website.

Shein doesn't promote just fast fashion, it promotes ultra-fast fashion. Its environmental track record is deeply concerning. Due to the lack of transparency regarding its production practices, it's impossible to accurately measure its environmental impact. Shein adds a staggering 6,000 items to its catalog every week. Just as Louis Vuitton can orchestrate grand spectacles instead of traditional runway shows, Shein possesses the power and capability to dominate the fast fashion market even more than H&M and Zara combined. Recently, Remake, a nonprofit organization advocating for improved labor and environmental practices, rated Shein a score of zero out of 150 points on its evaluation rubric.

In the face of all these controversies surrounding this company, the most disheartening aspect of Shein's influencer facility trip is the fact that there are still individuals willing to praise such retailers, despite the well-known detrimental effects of fast fashion on the planet. Every day, we witness stories of increasing pollution and progressing climate change. Yet, every day, we also see small companies striving for eco-friendly solutions, ongoing research on sustainable and recycled fashion collections, and efforts to develop emotional connections with our clothing. There are countless ways to repurpose various fabrics, including home linen, to create unique and meaningful items with sentimental value. However, breaking the fast fashion habit remains incredibly challenging and the posts about the trip organised by Shein prove that many of us may have to be re-educated from scratch. 

In Shein's case, their practices are even more pervasive as they maintain tight connections with influencers who receive free clothes for their "#sheinhaul" videos. Shein stands out in the industry for the massive number of influencers it supplies with complimentary clothing. The influencers share discount codes with their followers and also earn commissions on sales.

There is actually something else that adds to the frustration in this story: the influencer's self-proclaimed label of "investigative journalist."

Having a journalism degree is not necessary to understand that an investigation involves collecting, reading, and analyzing documents to develop a well-supported research to prove a theory. It certainly does not entail accepting a fully paid trip from the very entity that should be under investigation and being influenced by what they want you to see, nor does it entail interviewing workers inside a factory (how do we know that the interview happened; in which language did they interact? was there an interpreter and in case did the interpreter censor or alter any part of the feedback?). Unfortunately, some investigative journalists have lost their lives in the process, at the hands of the very people they were trying to expose.

There is a project at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition currently on in Venice (until 26th November) that may prompt us to ponder a bit on these issues, from human exploitation in China to investigative journalism. Titled "Investigating Xinjiang's Network of Detention Camps," the project is a collaborative effort between journalist Megha Rajagopalan, architect Alison Killing, and software developer Christo Buschek.

Alison Killing's studio has innovatively combined architecture and investigative journalism in this project: recognizing the challenges journalists face in effectively traveling and conducting investigations in Xinjiang to uncover the network of detention camps where the Chinese government detains Muslims, the studio devised a new investigative approach.

Due to limited access, the studio resorted to visual and spatial methods such as satellite imagery, 3D modeling, and analysis of Chinese prison building regulations. These approaches raised questions about whether the gathered information met journalistic standards. To address this concern, the studio verified the satellite imagery by cross-referencing it with other sources, aiming to establish a higher level of certainty regarding the identification of each site as a detention camp.

The investigation highlighted the need for innovative approaches in situations where eyewitnesses are not readily available, emphasizing the potential of architecture to provide visual and material evidence that carries substantial weight.

The installation showcased at the Venice Biennale features a wall-mounted map displaying a detention camp. The information regarding this particular camp was obtained through interviews with three former detainees, satellite imagery, Chinese prison building regulations, reports from the UN and Amnesty International, as well as leaked documents reported on by the International Committee for Investigative Journalists and Adrian Zenz.

The research unveiled that the Chinese government's crackdown extends beyond the Uyghur population to include Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Hui, Mongols and Xibe. People have been detained, sometimes for years, for practicing their religion or exhibiting behavior considered disloyal, such as using WhatsApp, sporting a beard, or having studied abroad. Detainees have described being forcefully taken away in the middle of the night, often hooded and in restraints, to unfamiliar and frightening prison facilities.

When the investigation commenced in 2018, it was estimated that one million people were detained across approximately 1,200 camps, with only a few dozen having been located. Limited information was available about the camp network and the whereabouts of those who had disappeared.

Accompanying the installation there is a photo essay portraying former detainees and their families, taken in Almaty, Kazakhstan in January 2020.

Among them is Dina Nurdybai, portrayed next to her sewing machine. A former successful clothing manufacturer, Nurdybai was detained on October 14, 2017. In the summer of 2018, she was assigned to work in one of the camp's factories. Upon realizing her previous experience in the garment industry, she was instructed to teach other women how to sew clothing, specifically school uniforms. Currently residing in Almaty, Kazakhstan, she is working towards rebuilding her garment business.

In 2021, Megha Rajagopalan, Alison Killing, and Christo Buschek were honored with the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. No fashion influencer has instead received the Pulitzer for an investigative report to date.

So, rather than playing at being investigative reporters, fashion and style influencers seeking intriguing travel destinations, should maybe opt for the Atacama Desert in Chile where there is a pile of discarded clothes, the result of our collective addiction to the fast fashion industry. The pile has actually become so large that it can now be seen from space, according to satellite imagery app SkyFi. The pile is estimated to increase by 39,000 tons annually.

Another educational destination for influencers may be Kantamanto Market, the world's largest secondhand clothing market, located in Accra, Ghana. Global North's dirty laundry ends up here and, when the clothes can't be sold in the market, they are discarded in Accra's landfill sites, that are currently overfilled. Sometimes the overflow also spills in nearby waterways, polluting rivers, ending up in the ocean and washing up on the shores.

Both these places exemplify therefore the consequences of our collective desire for clothes and accessories.

Not everything is bleak, though, as many of us are breaking free from our fast fashion addiction. For the numerous influencers still entangled in the clutches of ultra-fast fashion like the ones who went on the Shein trip, there may be a detox opportunity around the corner: Remake launched at the beginning of June the 90-day #NoNewClothes Challenge, to encourage people to press pause on the purchase of new clothing. The challenge started on 1st June, but you can participate at any time because there's never a wrong moment to hit the pause button and tackle overconsumption in the fashion industry.

Amidst Bubblegum Pink, The Disquieting Undercurrents Shaping Our Collective Journey

Expectations are high for Greta Gerwig's Barbie: starring Margot Robbie, the film, among the most anticipated movies of 2023, has already unleashed a new Barbiecore revival in fashion, that translates in garments and accessories in fifty shades of pink, a colour that has always been in fashion where it has been employed decade after decade for cute designs, but also for functional, architectural or sculpturally glamorous pieces. Film fans will remember that the shade has been employed for striking film sets and movie posters.

Defined by some as a rock'n'roll or punk colour, pink has often been considered as the new black, even though, in some cases it was employed as a threatening shade or an indomitable shade. But the color pink, with its versatile nature, also offers a rich tapestry of symbolisms and meanings to contemplate.

Sotheby's has currently got a pink Lucio Fontana slashed painting in the "Face to Face: A Celebration of Portraiture" auction (London, 27th June). The pink "Concetto spaziale, Attese" (1960) stands as a remarkable representation of Fontana's renowned tagli (slashes) series.

For the tagli series, Fontana first saturated his canvases with emulsion paint and allowed them to dry. He then pierced the surface with a Stanley Knife, gently opening the cuts with the blade's edge and inserting his fingers in each perforation to widen the slits, allowing the incised canvas to curl inwards. Finally, the artist would apply black gauze to the reverse of his ruptured canvas in order to accentuate an impression of endless depth. In this way, Fontana introduced three-dimensionality to the traditionally flat canvas surface but also ruptured the picture plane, revealing an enigmatic black void beyond.

This rupture invited a metaphysical conversation with the fourth dimension, encompassing both time and space. Fontana's defined slashes encapsulate his fascination with the unknowable void and the concept of energy as an invisible force. The slashes allowed him to give the spectator an impression of spatial calm, of cosmic rigour, of serenity in infinity.

The pink "Concetto spaziale, Attese" showcases Fontana's venture into larger dimensions (it measures over eighty centimetres in height and one metre in width), but also presents a distinctive composition divided in two sections: one with six cuts and the other with seven. Occupying separate quadrants on the expansive canvas, these sections, totaling thirteen cuts in all, punctuate the space with deep black voids, enhancing the soft vitality of the rose hue. The rhythmic intervals of these captivating slashes transport viewers into a dynamic and sculptural realm, embodying Fontana's intent to evoke a sense of spatial calm, cosmic rigour, and serenity within infinity.

The thirteen slender slashes on "Concetto spaziale, Attese" bear witness to Fontana's controlled yet performative approach. The exceptional configuration and number of slashes in this particular artwork contribute to its highly unique compositional balance, blurring the boundaries between painting and sculpture, and between two and three dimensions.

The blushing expanse of "Concetto spaziale, Attese" captivates the viewer, evoking various associations such as the glimmers between parted lips, surgical incisions, or the gaps between theater curtains.

In the vibrant tapestry of our troubled times, Lucio Fontana's slashed canvas emerges as a potent metaphor, resonating with profound significance. This canvas executed in bubblegum pink, effortlessly captures the essence of our era - an amalgamation of punk spirit, whimsical allure, and resplendent beauty.

At first glance, it exudes an aura of playful enchantment, captivating our attention and weaving a narrative of perpetual happiness and bliss, like the eternal charm of Barbie pink. Yet, beneath its superficial façade, the canvas bears witness to something far more profound - an unsettling duality that mirrors the historical, political, and social instability that envelops us. Almost violent in their execution, the slashes upon the canvas look like jagged wounds upon the fabric of our existence. They embody the exhilaration, excitement, fears and anxieties that accompany our turbulent times, reflecting a pervasive sense of fatalistic hopelessness that revolves around the perceived impossibility of everyday life. They remind us that, behind the façade of perpetual joy, a tumultuous undercurrent swirls - a reflection of the uncertainties and instabilities that shape our world.

Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere: Exploring & Celebrating The Distant, The Outsider, The Queer & The Indigenous Identity @ The 60th International Art Exhibition in Venice

The world is currently grappling with numerous crises related to the movement and presence of individuals across various countries, nations, territories, and borders.

Dislocation and displacement, the consequence of economic migration and wars, contribute to the complexity of these crises. The struggles faced by individuals in search of safety, refuge, or a better life underscore the urgent need for understanding, empathy, and solidarity in addressing these global challenges.

These crises serve as a reflection of the risks and challenges associated with language, translation, and ethnicity, which highlight the existence of differences and inequalities influenced by aspects such as identity, nationality, race, gender, sexuality, wealth, and freedom.

Within this intricate web of intersecting factors, the phrase "Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere" - the central theme of the upcoming 60th International Art Exhibition in Venice, scheduled to take place from April 20th to November 24th, 2024 - takes on a profound significance.

Firstly, it conveys the idea that, regardless of one's location or situation, encounters with foreigners are inevitable - they / we are omnipresent. Secondly, it suggests that, regardless of the specific geographical location one may find themselves in, they perpetually carry within them a sense of being a foreigner.

The Biennale Arte 2024 will be curated by Brazilian Adriano Pedrosa, director of MASP, the São Paulo Museum of Art (designed by the Italian-born architect Lina Bo Bardi; Pedrosa is a fan of Lina Bo Bardi and also relaunched the display system she designed for MASP with concrete plinths on which the works of art in the museum collection were anchored).

The theme of the Biennale, "Foreigners Everywhere", is taken from a series of neon pieces started in 2004 by the Paris-born and Palermo-based collective Claire Fontaine. The neon artworks, displaying the phrase "Foreigners Everywhere" in different languages, actually hint at the work of a Turin collective, known as Stranieri Ovunque, which actively campaigned against racism and xenophobia in Italy during the early 2000s.

This year Lesley Lokko, curator of the 18th Biennale Architettura currently on in Venice, is introducing visitors to the work of African architects, artists and designers, pushing us all to confront a variety of issues, from colonialism to slavery, from the erasure of Black cultural landscapes to the concept of Black Fantastic and Afrofuturism. In the same way, the Biennale Arte 2024 will explore a variety of themes, focusing on artists who have travelled often under the most diverse circumstances, who are also immigrants, expatriates, diasporic, émigrés, exiled, and refugees, and who have moved between the Global South and the Global North, in a celebration of the foreign, the distant, the outsider, the queer, and the indigenous.

In a press release commenting about the event, Pedrosa stated, "The figure of the foreigner is associated with the stranger, the straniero, the estranho, the étranger, and thus the exhibition unfolds and focuses on the production of other related subjects: the queer artist, who has moved within different sexualities and genders, often being persecuted or outlawed; the outsider artist, who is located at the margins of the art world, much like the autodidact and the so-called folk artist; as well as the indigenous artist, frequently treated as a foreigner in their own land."

The primary focus of the Biennale will be on the production of these artists and will constitute the International Exhibition's "Nucleo Contemporaneo" (Contemporary Nucleus). But there will also be a "Nucleo Storico" (Historical Nucleus) with works from 20th century Latin America, Africa, the Arab world, and Asia. In this section there will be spaces dedicated to artists from the Global South, who travelled to Europe and were exposed to European modernism. "Modernism was appropriated, devoured and cannibalized in the Global South," Pedrosa explains, "repeatedly taking on radically new shapes and forms in dialogue with local and indigenous references.

Inside the "Nucleo Storico" a special section will also be devoted to the worldwide Italian artistic diaspora in the 20th century: Italian artists who travelled and moved abroad developing their careers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, as well as in the rest of Europe, becoming embedded in local cultures. These artists often played significant roles in the development of the narratives of modernism beyond Italy.

Next year's edition of the International Exhibition of Contemporary Art marks the 60th anniversary of the event that has been going for 128 years (the first biennale event took place in 1895). However, this milestone is further enhanced by a historic appointment: for the first time ever the exhibition will be curated by a professional hailing from a Latin American country. This historic appointment marks a significant step forward in recognizing the diverse perspectives, artistic contributions, and cultural richness that Latin America brings to the global art scene. Hopefully, the exhibition will embrace a new era of inclusivity highlighting the rich tapestry of diverse voices and experiences that exist across borders, reminding us all that our identities are not confined solely to our place of origin or residence but encompass a broader sense of being "other," of feeling unfamiliar or out of place, transcending physical boundaries.

Image credits for this post

1. Claire Fontaine, Foreigners Everywhere (Italian), 2004, installation view at Cité internationale des arts Paris, Monmartre, Paris, 2004; suspended, wall or window mounted neon, framework, electronic transformer and cables. Photo and copyright Studio Claire Fontaine; Courtesy of Claire Fontaine and Galleria T293, Rome

2. Claire Fontaine, Foreigners Everywhere (English), 2005; Tecnolux ultra violet, 10mm glass, back-painted, framework, electronic transformer, cables. Photo and Copyright Studio Claire Fontaine; Courtesy of Claire Fontaine and Galerie Neu, Berlin

3. Adriano Pedrosa. Photo Daniel Cabrel, Courtesy Museu de Arte de São Paulo

The Growing Gap: Extremes in Society and Fashion

Two similar yet different stories happened in the last few days. Last week, on Wednesday, a devastating tragedy unfolded in the Mediterranean Sea. An overcrowded fishing boat, transporting approximately 750 people, mainly Pakistani and Afghan migrants, capsized off the Greek coast during its journey to Italy. Aboard the vessel there were approximately 100 children. The precise number of casualties is still uncertain, with more than 80 bodies recovered and up to 500 individuals reported as missing.

Then, on Sunday the Titan sub, a mini-research and survey submersible taking billionaire tourists on a dive to the wreck of the Titanic, went lost. Yesterday, from the debris found in the area, it was confirmed that the vehicle was destroyed by a catastrophic implosion that killed the five men on board.

From a journalistic point of view, both the stories were followed, but there were definitely more reportages about the Titan than about the shipwreck in Greece. Rescue efforts actually seemed more frantic for the Titan than for the boat of migrants. Besides, tributes are pouring in for the victims of the Titan; there aren't instead so many commemorations for the migrants involved in the shipwreck in the Mediterranean. Most of them and their stories and hopes will remain unknown, swallowed by the sea.

There is actually another difference between the two accidents: the protagonists of the former were pushed by that human recklessness that in ancient Greece was defined "hybris"; the protagonists of the second were just desperately looking for better lives for themselves and their children.

Besides, the men who died on the Titan are now considered as entrepreneurial explorers rather than victims of their own recklessness (the vehicle was deemed unsafe); right-wing governments in EU countries, will instead tell you that the victims of the shipwreck in Greece should have stayed in their own countries and maybe arranged for other ways to come to Europe.

From a human point of view there seems to be a gap that is constantly growing between certain extremes in our society, between rich and poor, affluence and destitution, abundance and scarcity, opportunity and adversity, privilege and marginalization, inclusion and exclusion, prosperity and poverty, comfort and hardship.

Fashion mirrors society and this gap is becoming wider also in this industry. You may argue that fashion has always been elitist, but now there seems to be a greater divide between big powerful groups and all the rest of the fashion players.

On Tuesday evening Louis Vuitton showcased in Paris its men's S/S 24 collection, the first by Pharrell Williams, the newly appointed Creative Director of the maison's men's division.

A producer, songwriter, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, Williams, who follows the late Virgil Abloh in his tenure at the house, boasts a curriculum rich in a variety of disciplines and industries, from music to fashion and beauty.

His appointment in February confirmed that the figure of fashion designer is becoming obsolete, in favour of impossibly hip, cool and famous editors and curators with great remixing skills.

The most anticipated show of the season took place on Pont Neuf, Paris's oldest bridge, for the occasion covered in a gold Vuitton trademark Damier pattern, almost evoking the iconic yellow brick road of "The Wizard of Oz" (a reference used by Abloh in his first Vuitton collection).

Illustrious guests - from Nicolas Ghesquière to Jared Leto, from Kim Kardashian to Beyoncé, who stopped in Paris before the Hamburg leg of her "Renaissance World Tour" - sat in the front row. There were also Vuitton brand ambassador Zendaya, and Rihanna, who starred in a teaser campaign for the men's show, while Stefano Pilati turned model for the occasion.

Clad in white and off-white Damier robes, the Virginia choir Voice of Fire sang Pharrell Williams' newly composed song, "Joy (Unspeakable)", providing a live soundtrack for the grand show.

The choir cheerfully and energetically accompanied the models walking down the runway singing the track that contained the mantra "If you want it, you can have it; if you need it, you can have it".

The first section of the show was about a pixelated camouflage version of Louis Vuitton's trademark Damier pattern. For the occasion the pattern was dubbed "Damoflage" to mark the combination of Damier with a pixelated pattern in camouflage shades.

In its leather interpretation, Damoflage was used for bombers and accessories that went from bags and trunks to boots (or small trunks with a transparent lid to carry sneakers or maybe exhibit them...); it was used as prints for suits and workwear garments, employed to create a jacquard-like motif on a tapestry jacket and reinterpreted for fur shawls and jackets.

Variations were provided in this first part of the show by forest camo designs vaguely echoing Williams' 2009 Keita Sugiura collaboration for Moncler.

Then a golf buggy carrying Vuitton trunks marked the arrival of more Damier pattern reinventions, in denim, in more classic black and brown for designs vaguely reminiscent of Dapper Dan's bootlegged Vuitton jackets, and in more colourful versions.

In this part of the show there were hints at Marc Jacobs' Spring/Summer 2013 season chequered looks and set design (Jacobs' metallic Monogram Mirror bags from the mid-2000s also returned), motifs that were then relaunched in Off White's A/W 2019 collection.

Kim Jones' coats with matching scarves from Vuitton's A/W 12 collection reappeared in this second part of the show, while the denim and logo beret pointed at Nigo's designs and a boat shaped bag was maybe a nod to the airplane shaped bag from Vuitton's A/W 21 collection.

Bags were piled high in this section of the runway, they came in red, yellow and green and their colours were inspired by the counterfeit versions sold on New York City's Canal Street. On some of the garments and bags, the initials of the brand, "LV" were combined with Williams' origins and with the slogan of the state he comes from - "Virginia is for Lovers" - reinvented here as "LV Lovers". Pixels returned in this section in a coat and a jacket with prints of Pont Neuf. Towards the end of the show there were also suits that featured micro-embroideries of portraits by American artist Henry Taylor.

Some critics mentioned Minecraft to find the origin of the pixelated camo gear; others mentioned JW Anderson's S/S 23 collection for Loewe. Yet pixels have been used for decades and fashion nerds will remember them in Anrealage's A/W 2011-12 collection (more recently the brand became more versed in creating a sort of kaleidoscope fractured pattern derived from those early pixelated collections).

Probably fashion fans with a passion for the art world would like to wish the camo pattern came from Bernat Klein colour charts and "Lichen" painting (View this photo). Yet this is not the case: Vuitton's pixelated camo pattern was, as stated above, a clash of the Daimer pattern with digital inspirations reinvented by artist E.T., even though this is not a terribly original idea considering that pixelated camo digital clipart patterns (View this photo) have been popular on Etsy for quite a while now (you can buy them from a variety of sellers, like this one, starting from €2,39...)

So, where did the inspiration for the pixellated camo motif come from? Well, it may actually come from state-of-the-art military camouflage gear. Companies such as Canadian HyperStealth produce indeed pixelated "Smartcamo" military clothes, intelligent textiles that change their color to match the background of the wearer in almost all environments, erasing the wearer from the scene (the same pattern can be applied to ground vehicles). The same company developed a "Quantum Stealth" non-powered adaptive camouflage which portrays what is behind the user in-front of the user, bending the light around the target. Basically, if dazzle camouflage confused radars, modern pixelated camo patterns erase the wearer or the vehicle covered with this pattern blending them with the rest of the environment. The forest pattern in the collection may instead be a reinvention of the tree pattern employed in hunting gear and also lifted by Kanye West for one of his Yeezy collections.

The show was more cohesive at the beginning; as it progressed, it gradually became less coherent, even though it was still perfectly remixed like a neat 12" edit.

Yet, after Williams joyfully walked down the runway wearing a green pixelated Damier pattern suit and a new pair of his trademark diamond glasses, after he invited his design team on the runway and knelt in front of them, showing gratitude and acknowledging their input in the collection, while the choir was triumphantly singing, you realized that fashion has become just a component - and not even the most important one - of a runway show.

Indeed, fashion-wise, when properly dissected, the collection wasn't desperately innovative, but the package was new. The collection wouldn't indeed have been the same without the location, the glorious gospel choir, the amazing soundtrack and after-show party and the celebrities in the front row (well, if you stripped the runway of all these components you would probably get a clearer perspective on the clothes and even get the chance to admire the exquisite mini-embroideries taken from Henry Taylor's artworks).

This was indeed an all-encompassing experience, an extended music video that combined fashion and music show (the choir performance and then a live performance by Jay-Z, joined by Williams onstage) with the colonization of an architectural feature in a major European capital (Pont Neuf runs from the front door of the Louis Vuitton headquarters and the group's Cheval Blanc hotel), an operation that caused vast traffic jams and shut down the entire neighborhood (the brand is showing an unhealthy obsession with bridges: this is the second one colonised by a Vuitton runway after a submersible pedestrian path beneath the Banpo Bridge, in Seoul, South Korea, was used to showcase the maison's Pre-Fall 2023 runway).

Cristóbal Balenciaga once dressed a choir; Prada and Armani own the venues where they do their catwalk shows; Prada also owns a Fondazione that regularly organizes cultural events. Quite a few fashion houses have a favourite team of hip architects and designers that constantly work with them and enlist celebrity ambassadors to promote their products and their image.

Besides, some fashion houses can boast of having restored a major city landmark and have used it as the "background" for their show.

Yet, this mega-production, this demonstration of power, was almost a perfect exercise to prove to others that Louis Vuitton can have it all. In brief, despite what they tell you, money matters.

Vuitton invested in Virgil Abloh money and efforts, but this was definitely a bigger, brighter, better version. The scale of the show was scary even for a huge brand, it was indeed designed to almost induce a mixture of awe and elation best explained by Edmund Burke's concept of "sublime".

This is fashion on steroids, a monster with a power that can't be reined in anymore as it has escaped human proportions and control and has recombined with music, architecture and an unattainable degree of coolness, to annihilate all the others.

While fashion undoubtedly encompasses various disciplines, only Vuitton seems to possess the financial resources to engage in a diverse range of experiences that span art, culture, music, gaming, and technology.

This is when you realized that by now the gap in fashion, as in society, is becoming wider and will leave many out of the game (fashion critics and journalists included - think about it: this is not a show that you're supposed to review, but you're supposed to watch it and enjoy it for what it is, without looking for meanings or making connections with previous shows and collections...).

Let's face it: nobody can compete at this level, not even established powerhouses like Prada, imagine smaller brands.

Yesterday it was announced that, facing financial difficulties, Christopher Kane, has appointed administrators for his brand.

Kane is actually not the only one struggling in Britain: without the support of major investors, forging a fashion career has become increasingly tough for independent designers in the UK, due to rising interest rates, Brexit-related trading challenges, and a severe cost-of-living crisis (aside from Kane, also Nicholas Kirkwood closed down his stores in London).

Things are becoming more difficult for younger people who want to get into this business and want to do so at a slower pace or for young designers who hope to become creative directors one day at a major maison (what kind of brand will be willing to invest in a young designer and let them grow up, allow them to commit mistake and design a glorious collection followed by a bad one, without firing them after 6 months?).

Such a grand event poses questions: as a fashion designer can you exist in this business if you come from a modest background? Can you find a job as a Creative Director without being already famous? Can your brand expand without backers, without the support of complacent editors, without a famous ambassador and a co-signer? The mantra repeated by the choir, "If you want it, you can have it; if you need it, you can have it" only works indeed for some of us in this life. Most of us simply "can't have it", no matter how much we want it.

The show also made you ponder about another issue: there is always a lot of talk about sustainable fashion, producing fewer pieces, eliminating furs and luxurious animal skins from your collections and reducing your carbon footprint. But all these things seem to be valid only for other brands and for younger designers, because such a show had a massive carbon footprint and featured luxurious furs and animal skins. The only aspects that seemed recycled were the ideas incorporated into the clothing and accessories.

In conclusion, you can't blame or hate Williams, but you can blame and hate the system that epitomizes the negative transformation of fashion - an ultra-capitalistic, monstrous force that sells not just a dream, but a glittering package that remains not just unattainable for the ordinary consumer, but that poses questions for other competitors as well.

The relentless pursuit of profit within this system is the reason why numerous designers experience fatigue, collapse, or find themselves unable to sustain their labels and ultimately shut them down.This new development is a testament to how fashion has undergone a transformation fueled by money that will destroy many more.

New challenges lie ahead: Louis Vuitton will have to keep up with the standards it has just set, but will also have to deliver results; all the other brands, fashion houses and groups will have to understand how to navigate this new scenario in which clothes are secondary to the actual runway. As for emerging designers, they will have to work even harder to respond to this evolution of the fashion landscape and redirect the spotlight back to the craftsmanship and quality of their garments. And this, as you may guess, is no mean feat, but an endeavor that requires immense skills, passion and perseverance.

Forecasting the Future: Can Video Games Anticipate Trends?

Trendsetters try and guess what will be en vogue in our lives - a colour palette, a silhouette, or even a type of food or drink. Analysts examining data, specialize instead in forecasting trends and outcomes based on historical data and predictive modeling techniques, using statistical models and algorithms to estimate future scenarios and make informed predictions.

Yet most of us are no Tiresias, but more like Madame Sosostris, clairvoyants more akin to charlatans than to experts of ritual divination. Yet, recently, we have witnessed a rather bizarre situation in which a real event was almost anticipated by a video game.

At the time of writing this post, search operations are continuing for the Titan sub. The 6.7-metre research and survey submersible that can carry a crew of five (a pilot and four other people), operated by OceanGate, that lost communications in the north Atlantic on Sunday while on a dive to the wreck of the Titanic.

The main purpose of the submarine, that employs Elon Musk's Starlink satellite technology to communicate, is designed to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, which lies about 3,800 metres down on the ocean floor and is surrounded by debris from the disaster occurred more than a century ago.

According to reports, the submarine, that has a 96-hour bottled oxygen supply that has by now come to an end, carries tourists that paid $250,000 per person for the experience. Among the passengers there are OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush and Hamish Harding, a British billionaire and adventure enthusiast.

In a video by CBS Sunday Morning uloaded on YouTube six months ago that went viral yesterday, a journalist claimed that many parts of the vehicle looked "improvised". The video shows indeed that the sub is fitted with a light "from CamperWorld" and it is operated with a $30 Logitech F710 wireless PC game controller from 2010. Reading a disclaimer by the company warning that the vehicle has not been approved by any regulatory body, the journalist highlights that the expedition could result in "physical inury, disability, emotional trauma or death". 

Experts are still trying to guess what happened (contact was lost 1 hour 45 minutes into the Titan's trip, suggesting the crew may have been close to, or at the bottom) and, while the U.S. Coast Guard launched a complex operation to rescue it, details about former OceanGate employees raising concerns about the safety of the submarine started emerging.

David Lochridge, the company's former director of marine operations, claimed in a court filing he was wrongfully terminated in 2018 for raising concerns about the safety and testing of the Titan. Another issue that caused concerns is the fact that the entire sub is bolted shut from the outside, so even if the vessel surfaces, the occupants cannot escape without outside assistance and could suffocate within the capsule.

This story sparked the interest of the gaming community as, in some ways, the title "Iron Lung" (2022) predicted it. Developed by David Szymanski, this short horror game allows users to pilot a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood on an alien moon.

Apart from the post-apocalyptic setting and the ocean of blood, there is another difference between the submarine in the "Iron Lung" and the Titan sub: in the former there is enough space to stand up; in the latter you have to sit cross-legged (let's not comment about the risk of blood clots and thrombosis as this would be adding insult to injury…).

Szymanski became concerned about the dark coincidence when "Iron Lung" started trending on Twitter because of the Titan sub.

On Twitter he stated: "I definitely see the dark humor in this whole Titanic sub thing, it's just... like, I made Iron Lung the most nightmarish thing I could think of, and knowing real people are in that situation right now is pretty horrific, even if it was their own bad decisions." The videogame developed added in another message, "Like all the jokes I've been seeing are hilarious but also good lord nobody should have to die like that."

The game developer also posted a screen showing that the sales of the game had even gone up after the submarine went lost; "this feels so wrong," he commented.

In the meantime, people started posting their thoughts about the coincidence, commenting about human stupidity, but also highlighting the difference - spending $6 for a horror video game or $250,000 for a deadly experience in real life.

So, did the creator of "Iron Lung" possess the ability to predict the future? Well, it was certainly an eerie coincidence. In the end, the game concept draws inspiration from popular adventures where the objective is to escape from various forms of danger, such as confined spaces, apocalyptic scenarios, or major catastrophes.

Yet, in the history of gaming there is another title that famously "predicted" the future: unlicensed shoot 'em up game "Hong Kong 97". Released in Japan in 1995 and designed by the Japanese game journalist Kowloon Kurosawa, who claimed it was a satire of the video game industry, the videogame opened with a short cutscene which places the story around the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. Considered as one of the worst video games ever made (it garnered a cult following right for this reason in Japan, Thailand and Taiwan…), it anticipated the British government handing over Hong Kong in 1997.

You may argue that this event was already timed as, in 1984, leaders from Britain and China officially ratified an agreement endorsing the transfer of the colony in 1997 (as already established by the 1898 Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory granting the lease of the island for 99 years until 1997). But, most disturbingly the video game predicted the death of Deng Xiaoping, leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in the same year.

There are more recent games that seem to have predicted the future, including games about pandemics or viruses causing major emergencies ("Plague Inc", 2012, inspired by the 2011 film "Contagion" and the 2008 Adobe Flash game "Pandemic 2") and threatening the existence of humans.

So, while it may be a stretch to claim that video games can definitively forecast the future, they undeniably hold the potential to provide valuable insights and spark our imagination. After all, video game creators have a finger on the pulse of culture, just like fashion designers, and often mirror what goes on in our society, reflecting its values, fears, and aspirations.

Our lives are influenced by conjectures, ideas and concepts also borrowed from films: the "canon event" theory taken from "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" (consisting in reframing unfortunate experiences as essential to one's personal story that must occur and cannot be prevented), gained popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, where it was transformed into a satirical but philosophical message of acceptance and personal growth (some commentators used the "canon event" theory to explain the disappearance of the Titan...). Similarly, the ideas, plots, and trends found in video games can be applicable to our lives.

Video games that primarily focus on escaping from monsters serve as reflections and adaptations of our subconscious fears and anxieties; games in which we strategize wars and reshape world boundaries, engaging with complex geopolitical scenarios and simulating military tactics, allow players to gain insights into the dynamics of power, resource allocation, and the intricacies of global politics, while taking into consideration the effects of real-world conflicts. Additionally, complex simulations and city-building games mirror various aspects of reality, such as economic systems, social dynamics, and environmental factors, offering inspiration for building a better society.

In conclusion, the potential of video games extends beyond entertainment and escapism, so we should maybe consider creating a video game where players earn points for displaying humanity and performing random acts of charity (abilities we are forgetting...), such as a game in which players could learn how to coordinate rescue operations for boats carrying migrants in the Mediterranean. In fact maybe such a game could urge us all to exhibit in real life the same attentiveness and compassion demonstrated in trying to rescue the Titan and its reckless crew of millionaires.

This post was written in collaboration with Gaming Consultant Roberto Battista

New Hybrid Formations for the Future: Hood Design Studio's "Native(s) Lifeways" @ The 18th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia

Within the bustling environment of the Venice Biennale, amidst its lively atmosphere, there exists a tranquil and introspective corner, a compact space that warmly welcomes visitors with a contemplative aura. This corner is none other than Carlo Scarpa's sculpture garden located at the Giardini's Central Pavilion (in the patio of the Giardini, accessible through a side door on the ground floor).

The garden features three elliptical columns that provide support for a rectangular roof in which three circles were carved. Enclosed by walls adorned with curtains of leaves, the serene ambience is further enhanced by the presence of a peaceful pond, offering a soothing soundtrack. The interplay of light, shadow, and water beautifully unfolds within this space - a serene refuge amid the swirling chaos.

This year, for the 18th International Architecture Exhibition (until November 26th), the garden hosts an installation courtesy of Oakland-based Hood Design Studio, founded by US landscape architect Walter Hood.

Entitled "Native(s) Lifeways", the installation is a miniature version of Hood Design Studio's plans for an infrastructure composed of walkways and pavilions amidst the wetlands of South Carolina.

The inspiration for the project comes from the erasure of Black cultural landscapes in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Lowcountry, under threat due to wetland development and diminishing rural land tenure. These landscapes, spanning 12,000 square miles from North Carolina to Florida, encompass the history and interconnections between the enslaved Gullah Geechee people, plantations, Caroline Gold rice, sweetgrass baskets, and Africa.

The rural agricultural settlement of Phillips has transformed into a modest residential community along the historic Route 1, maintaining ties to its adjacent plantation landscape. Beyond its cultivated land, the surrounding area, known as the "overgrown", features native flora such as pine, oak, and palm.

Hood Design Studio's proposal suggests that Phillips has the potential for rejuvenation, it re-examines the term "native" and explores alternative language to critically consider the emergence of hybrid formations in both indigenous and foreign landscapes. Unfortunately, the so-called "progress" has replaced the soft shoulder of Route 1 with kerbs and gutters, eroding its historic significance as a landscape celebrating the Gullah Geechee culture.

Hood proposes therefore an Arts Lifeway within the creek wetland of Phillips, harmoniously integrated with grasses and reeds. There is a component of craftsmanship behind the project as the design of the pavilions built using renewable wood sourced from the overgrown directly moves from the large rice-toting baskets used by men during harvest.

At the Scarpa Garden, Hood Design Studio created a pathway and a series of timber structures again inspired by basketmaking influencing the columns.

Hood Design Studio stands at the forefront of projects that explore the interplay between natural and contemporary spaces, while pushing the boundaries of architecture. A notable recent undertaking by the studio is the design of a campus for visual computing company NVIDIA. The campus features an intriguing hybrid treehouse-like structure that seamlessly integrates the interior and exterior spaces, taking inspiration from the regional landscape of the South Bay. This design incorporates an impressive array of plants and trees, emphasizing a strong connection with nature.

In the Scarpa Garden at the Central Pavilion, the studio established meaningful connections with the Venetian landscape, offering a tribute to hybrid formations and diverse crafts and materials. The project beautifully harmonizes with its surroundings, showcasing how craftsmanship, traditions, and modernism can be artfully combined to provide us with a path towards a more ecological and ethical future, where the fusion of past and present creates spaces that are both innovative and respectful of the environment.