In today's fast-paced complex world, fashion often emerges as a tempting distraction. With constant streams of bad news, it's natural to seek something to take our minds off it all. For many, that distraction comes in the form of watching runway shows, browsing the Internet for aspirational shopping, or following glamorous events like the Met Gala.
Last night, fashionistas and celebrity fans eagerly watched as their favorite VIPs arrived at the Met Museum for the year's most anticipated fundraising event that officially opens the latest exhibition at the museum's Costume Institute, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" (May 10 - September 2, 2024). However, amidst the glitz and glamour, some of us probably paused to consider whether fashion is losing its essence, morphing into an exclusive pursuit for the elite while offering little more than passive entertainment for the rest of us.
In the days and hours leading up to the Met Gala, the Instagram pages of attending celebrities were indeed filled with behind-the-scenes snapshots, showcasing the fitting process and past Gala looks. These images portrayed grandiose Haute Couture gowns, starkly contrasting with the everyday realities of ordinary people.
Yesterday there was even another contrast of sorts since, while the red carpet was taking place, pro-Palestine protesters marched nearby, down Madison Avenue one block east of the gala venue, and walked through Central Park as well, highlighting the stark divide between the glamorous Gala attendees and those fighting for justice and peace.
Dissecting every single look seems fruitless and even offensive at this point, given the saturation of such commentary, so let's focus on the integration of technology into fashion in some of the designs at the Met Gala.
Guests were given a theme - "The Garden of Time," inspired by a short story by J.G. Ballard - that was interpreted very freely.
Model Amelia Gray Hamlin made her Met Gala debut in a light-up strapless terrarium skirt dress, featuring purple roses, from Jun Takahashi's Undercover S/S 2024 collection.
On the runway, these innovative designs, reminiscent of lamps, showcased a miniature ecosystem within, with flowers and dancing butterflies (the Met Gala version didn’t include any butterfly after Undercover’s clash with PETA). According to Takahashi, the terrarium skirt dresses served as a tribute to loved ones he had lost. Hamlin's choice was apt as another of the terrarium dresses is featured in the show and also appears on the exhibition posters and on the cover of the catalogue.
Another noteworthy high-tech moment occurred with the gown worn by another Met Gala debutante, Mona Patel. Originally from Gujarat, India, Patel now resides and operates businesses in the US. As an entrepreneur and Forbes Next 1000 Honoree, she oversees a million-dollar empire spanning multiple ventures, including the Couture For Cause, a non-profit organization that merges her passion for fashion with philanthropy. For the Met Gala, she chose a custom couture gown by Iris Van Herpen (again very apt as the exhibition also features creations by the Dutch designer).
Patel's nude-hued gown was inspired by nature and featured an intricately crafted butterfly-shaped corset that accentuated her curves, and a scalloped train. The gown came with a surprising accessory along her arms, a row of kinetic elements resembling flowers blooming or butterflies flying around petals, fluttering in slow motion and activated from a device on the back of the dress.
This addition to her couture look was an accent that Patel collaboratively devised with her friend, kinetic motion artist and metalsmith Casey Curran, who began working on these mechanical accessories (that he called "Asura") a few weeks ago, eventually finishing the piece the day before the Met Gala carpet.
The narrative of the Met Gala was also influenced by a dubious use of Artificial Intelligence as AI-generated images of Katy Perry, Rihanna and Lady Gaga circulated on social media and in particular on X (formerly Twitter) prior to the event.
One particularly viral image showed Katy Perry in a floral gown on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the background was taken from a previous Met Gala event), that got millions of views and likes.
In another image she's pictured wearing a metallic corset with a large key down the middle and a short skirt of flowers and leaves.
Similarly, an image of Rihanna in a woodland-themed gown and of Lady Gaga in a spiralling gown also gained traction, despite none of these celebrities was attending the gala.
Perry herself later clarified that the images were AI-generated, as she was actually busy working in the studio at the time, but her mum was conned into believing they were real "Didn't know you went to the Met," she wrote to her daughter. "What a gorgeous gown, you look like the Rose Parade, you are your own float lol." "Lol mom the AI got you too," the singer replied. "BEWARE!"
While some viewed these AI-generated images as harmless fun, others saw them as a troubling indication of the increasing prevalence of deepfakes and AI-generated content.
Experts warn of the potential dangers posed by AI-generated deepfakes, including threats to election security and everyday scams. In response to growing concerns, Meta announced plans to label AI-generated images on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, beginning in May. In the midst of all this, one can't help but wonder if the extravagances generated by Artificial Intelligence look any worse than some of the actual designs seen on the red carpet at the Met Gala. It's a question that may never have a definitive answer.
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