Common sense changes over time, and Collina Strada is evolving with the help of AI design.
As the prominence of AI (Artificial Intelligence) grows, industries across the board are grappling with the challenge of coexisting with AI and finding ways to make it work effectively. While there are numerous advantages from the penetration of AI into daily life, there are diverse opinions, with some people fearing job loss due to AI, and others expressing concerns about its impact on education.
It seems that positively incorporating and coexisting with AI in the future will be a key to success within all industries. Collina Strada, led by Hillary Taymour, unveiled a collection at New York Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2024 that positively incorporated AI in fashion design.
As one of the first brands to use generative AI to launch a runway show, Collina Strada was a topic of discussion in the American media. We spoke with the brand's Creative Director, Hillary Taymour herself, about the process of incorporating AI into the collection and the future relationship between AI and the fashion industry.
PROFILE
Hillary Taymour
Creative Director
Designer
AI, Like a Child, Expands Our Imagination
Collina Strada is a brand that addresses climate change, social issues, and self-expression through its collections, and it once again stirred conversation with its Spring/Summer 2024 collection.We asked her about the use of AI in this collection.
"I always use AI for fun, but I think it's a great tool to stimulate inspiration and not be confined by preconceptions. Think of AI like a 5-year-old child without fixed ideas. I believe it allows us to use our imagination more and present unique ideas. That's how we incorporated AI's imagination in this collection."
Normally, the starting point of a collection is based on best sellers, from which new inspiration is drawn to develop a new collection. The process of designing a collection using Midjourney was more challenging than she had imagined.
One might think that by inputting information into a generative AI software, a design is finished in about a minute. But in reality, it took about three weeks, with adjustments being made along the way. Even when using generative AI software to create prints, repeated prints cannot be created by AI.
In such cases, the design must be handed over to a print designer; human adjustment is needed to what AI produces. Final adjustments are not left up to AI, but done by humans.
"There were difficulties in the design process, but when I saw the finished product, there were items that exceeded my expectations. Some were unique and others were not. The more I thought outside the confines of the program, the better I felt the results were."
Her favorite look is number 42; a dress with a striking contrast of white and black.
"This look came out closest to what I had imagined."
Could This Be the Industry's Cure for the Worn-out Fashion Industry?
When 'Collina Strada' announced their Spring-Summer 2024 collection, prominent American media outlets reported with interest on the designer's incorporation of AI."I believe everyone, including journalists, enjoyed the show and was surprised."
She suggests that negative reactions to the use of AI were unexpectedly few. "No doubt, there are people who hold various negative opinions about AI, fearing that their jobs may be replaced by it in the future. However, even if you don't favor technology, I believe we have come to an era where we must accept the advancement of technology."
The introduction of AI might serve as a remedy for the increasingly stale fashion industry.
Hilary Taymour plans to incorporate generative AI in future collections as well.
"In this particular collection, I think it relieved about 80% of the stress associated with generating new ideas and allowed for new ways of thinking."
It seems that the inclusion of AI allowed the collection to be approached with a fresh perspective.
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