REVEALING COUTURE

In response to the Milan-fashion-week of September 2020, artist Jeroen van der Most, took the opportunity to create a unique, virtual, AI-based dress. That gives recognition to those who often create the haute couture, the Indian workers, and their families.

The new dress is displayed in a video released today, based on a famous 2019 Milan-fashion-week-event in which Jennifer Lopez wore a green Versace dress. Using Artificial Intelligence, the artist replaced the original dress with the faces of Indian embroiders and their relatives. Triggered by the hypnotizing movements of Lopez, the swirling digital textile suddenly reveals the faces to the spectator. Sparking thought about the situation of those furthest down the supply chain and clothing buying behavior.

The original green Versace dress was worn by Lopez in the Milan fashion week’s September 2019 Versace show, that to date was watched by millions online. The dress was not without controversy. Indian embroiders created it as reported by the New York times in March 2020, in an article that is critical about the working circumstances of Indian artisans used by luxurious fashion brands. Reason for the artist to initiate the art project.

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly used for creative purposes by artists and designers. A wide variety of the latest AI techniques helped Van der Most to create the movie. Ranging from AI methods to detect the dress and body, AI systems to create the faces, techniques to morph between the different faces, and movie frame interpolation to create the smooth slow-motion effect. The shown faces in the movie are fully creations by AI algorithms for privacy reasons, based on real Indian facial pictures.

The infinitely looping movie is also a speculation about a future. One in which people will use technology to see deeper layers behind the surfaces of the clothing and products we use. A time in which the boundaries between humans and apparel or objects will fade. In the eyes of the artist this future will offer all sorts of new creative possibilities. Most importantly though, it will intensify our comprehension of- and relationship with the material world.

We currently consume, mostly without willing or being able to comprehend the chains of people, materials, and environmental damage involved in production processes. Technology could confront, warn, and help us to change. In visual ways, using innovations like augmented reality that show us who made our clothing. Or by equipping the digital assistants that in the future will handle our buying decisions with AI. Artificially Intelligent systems can make far more complex buying decisions than humans can. With every purchase AI could analyze data from the entire production chain to judge the fairness, health, or environmental impact of a product.