In reading through the book 'Christian Eschatology of Artificial Intelligence' by Giorgi Vachnadze, I found myself thinking about the future of fashion, and where clothing fits into the changing landscape of the world.
Dressing as an Act of Self
The book speaks a lot on self and definition of self, how it is an act rather than a given, a state of being. When we dress, we do so with the thought of how this defines us. Even in resistance you fail to escape, by choosing not to care what you wear you attempt to send a message that you believe fashion is below you.
When AI Turns Dress Into a Formula
As companies continue to "improve" AI, many do so with the predetermined conclusion that thought and self is simply a formula of numbers and equations. Only a matter of time until we string enough of these together until it is indistinguishable from the biological. Similarly we could see dress as a formula of determination, jeans and tshirt for casual, shirt and tie for formal. Uniforms that can be deciphered, replicated and artificially decided. There are already AI stylists and picture filters to help people pick an outfit.
With the current trend of archive and vintage referencing of the past, there is the possibility of the next trend being AI selected looks of the future. Just as designers have become like a snake eating its own tail, caught in a loop of referencing the past, designing for AI could be next. Clothes that favour an algorithm, similarly to how video editing styles have adapted to capture shorter attention spans. Finding out what makes a machine "tick", seeding it to improve sales and attention.
The Return of the Uniform
This made me consider uniforms, created to mark you as a part of a group while robbing you of individuality, a grand equaliser. When we all look the same it negates the possibility of exclusion based on appearance, increasing the feelings of unity, loyalty and belonging. Even then people find a way. In school I remember people trying to find the most unique shoes, wearing their ties differently or pulling up their skirts as far as they could get away with. Military uniforms could be another reference here but there is a lack of uber strict authority in everyday life so it seems less effective.
If we did finally leave the past and embrace the algorithm in fashion, whether willingly or not, the idea of a uniform feels realistic. Not to the point of a handmaids tale where we are each in drab, utilitarian clothing however I doubt it would swing in the opposite extremity either. Where we dress to stand out to the point where we look ridiculous for the sake of it. Not to say neither of those things aren't already happening but niches rarely define the status quo.
Quiet Resistance: Finding Your Own Formula
Hopefully, much like the small revolutions of school uniforms we find ourselves showing identity in the minute. Slowing down on consumption, understanding the ecological benefit of investing in pieces rather than polyester one-wear clothing. Finding value in the act of self, almost like a TV character, a set uniform that doesn't speak of conformity but of safety, of knowing what we are. I believe having less is more, chasing trends by ordering clothes every month, whether vintage or fast fashion, will slowly fall out of vogue. As we watch the world fall under the spell of AI, something "other" telling us what to wear. The greatest resistance will be to not dress for the algorithm. Finding your own formula that says this is what I am, this coat that I bought away on holiday, these pairs of jeans my parents got me for christmas. A tapestry of real moments of actions and memories.
What Comes Next Comes From What Came Before
The greatest argument I could make for this line of reasoning is that it already exists. Despite the reality of overconsumption, every single person you speak to will have at least one item that holds some sort of emotional significance to them. And if we can take anything from both AI and archival fashion, what comes next always comes from what has already been.