It is undeniable that, when prompted in a stimulating way, Artificial Intelligence can generate in just a few seconds extraordinary images of human beings dressed in the most fantastic creations.
We do also know that such images are often the result of collages and combinations of existing designs, borrowed, stolen and repackaged by Artificial Intelligence systems from millions of other pictures found online. Besides, AI also tends to play tricks on you, making you think you have suddenly produced a genuine work of art, only to discover 5 minutes later that, because of mode collapse, another user has just produced an image very similar to what you may have generated.
Yet there are ways to create more original materials, especially if you're a fashion designer. One of them is feeding these systems with your own images and then refining the visual input with a tailored prompt or blending together several different images from your portfolio.
Beware, though, as you may hit another conundrum then: once the system has generated for you the most extraordinary image of a model dressed up in a uniquely extravagant creation, maybe a combination of your previous collections, you will still have to find ways to actually make that design. And that may not be terribly easy, considering that AI is prone to incredible flights of fancy.
This is essentially the challenge that Collina Strada's Hillary Taymour faced while working on her new collection. The brand showcased the S/S 24 collection last Friday in Brooklyn during New York Fashion Week with a presentation that was in some ways linked with technology and social media. The inspiration came indeed from the "everything is fine" meme (think about the iconic dog blissfully drinking a mug of coffee while being surrounded by threatening flames…).
We are surrounded by catastrophes, from the war in Ukraine to climate change triggering the beginning of what may be Armageddon with heatwaves that have turned our summer days into endless scorching nightmares, followed by torrential rains; last week there was a devastating earthquake in Morocco, followed by deadly floods in Libya (what's the point of watching the next apocalyptic series on your streaming services when you can just turn on the news?). Yet, in the face of it all - fashion shows, having somehow survived even Covid-19 and the temporary end of fashion weeks IRL - have resumed unperturbed, pretending that things are simply fine.
The mood was replicated in Collina Strada's show, entitled "Soft Is Hard" and accompanied by show notes that stated, "The Earth's on fire; why are we here?"
During the show models walked down the runway with forced smiles; at times they looked extremely convincing; at others their smiles seemed frozen in a disturbing, almost maniacal rictus. Their tightly clenched fists symbolically suppressed their real feelings as the smiles disappeared when they turned their back to the audience, a metaphor for a personal awakening or a reality check.
The solution to the problems for Taymour is reconnecting with Mother Earth, but, to do it, the designer turned to the very technology that is causing the most debates, fears and anxieties at the moment - Artificial Intelligence.
Using it as a tool rather than a rival, five months ago Taymour started strategizing the new collection and fed images of all Collina Strada's previous collections into an AI system.
Blending, clashing and combining the images, Artificial Intelligence came up with some intriguing solutions. But then followed months of working and reworking, a phase users of text-to-image AI systems know pretty well, a long, time-consuming and frustrating process that consists in fine tuning your prompts and allow the system to progress and learn what you like and what you dislike, tweaking the images till you manage to come up with something that aligns to your vision.
After this stage you may hit another challenging phase: turning the image from fantasy into reality. In the case of Collina Strada, Artificial Intelligence actually produced something interesting, but with a lot of draped elements and constructions that posed a series of sartorial issues and dilemmas. So, while Taymour seemed pretty satisfied with some of the ideas proposed by AI, together with her team she had to understand how to simplify some of these suggestions and turn them into wearable and functional designs.
The results embodied the quintessential Collina Strada aesthetic, with a hint of eccentricity best described by the definition Federico Fellini once gave about his film 8½ - a "beautiful chaos". The same thing can be said here: the collection was chaotic, but in a Collina Strada kind of way, it featured indeed draped, asymmetric, ruffled, fringed and ripped whimsical, layered slip dresses, distressed T-shirts, tops and boxers.
Unusual solutions prevailed with a vest with a hook-and-eye closure under the left breast; patchworked boxer shorts adorned with cascades of lace ruffles; hoodies with a star made with a drawstring to alter its shape; floral ball skirts; minidresses with layers of lace peeking out from underneath or with panniers; capri pants with a half-ruffled lace skirt attached to a belt; corsets in pastel shades matched with (or attached to) densely draped skirts or, for the evening, black velvet corsets with a flowing white jersey skirt and a sheer black ruffled lace slip (worn by King Princess during a post-runway performance).
There were obviously references to Vivienne Westwood in the corsets that showcased a blend of Haute Couture aspirations and a punk-inspired diversion.
Taymour's ethos echoes The Slits': the latter didn't know how to play their instruments, but still managed to make great tracks thanks to their unorthodox approach to music. Taymour does the same - at times she seems unsure and amateurish, but quite often her collections end up exuding a sense of disheveled freedom reminiscent of Cindy Lauper's romantic yet rebellious style in her early '80s videos.
This collection in particular featured designs that allow the wearer to move around freely, dancing, partying and generally misbehaving, but, in some cases, these clothes may double up also as more formal attires - an example was the pink satin suit with a jacket characterized by a relaxed silhouette with trousers decorated with hand-applied white lace appliqués and white tulle ruffles held together by silver ball chains worn cross-body style across the chest – remove the latter and you will be able to go from a party to a formal meeting.
Accessories included alien star necklaces, while the footwear, a collaboration with Ugg, featured platform laced-up sandals and Mary Janes sprouting spiky studs. All the shoes invited wearers to abandon high heels in favor of more dynamic options.
This shift reflected a broader trend, as evidenced by Birkenstock's impending IPO (it was just announced that Birkenstock has filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission…), something almost expected, especially after the brand's resurgence in Greta Gerwig's Barbie.
Party on, Taymour seems to say, with or without AI (but while Taymour admitted the use of AI in this collection in a creative way, how many brands and designers will not to do so in their collections? food for thought...) and embrace the eccentricity in your everyday life, however, don't forget transgender and general human rights, as noted by Taymour in the show's accompanying materials, which, she feels, are currently "under threat." Encouraging a sense of community is important and Taymour did it with a diverse cast of models, in all shapes, sizes and ages, with able and disabled bodies.
Collina Strada will now have to find a new way forward after 10 years in fashion (some models carried the brand's book featuring images from this past decade, a way to take stock and think about the next chapter…). Maybe a socially oriented project expects Taymour, as her creations go beyond fashion and are more about nurturing a sense of community, raising two fingers to the establishment and affirming one's existence. That's why she's here, while the Earth is on fire.
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