Forgoing a traditional fashion show for NYFW, the brand instead opted for a candelabra-lit dinner – with 50 guests positioned around a U-shaped setting in The Weylin (an historic former savings bank in Brooklyn) on February 8. Ominously named the Last Supper, the Distinguished Guest watched, listened and processed everything the attendees were doing. But, don’t be fooled, this wasn't a seen-it-before type of robot.
“We wanted to create a different experience for the guests at the dinner but also include what we can expect more of in the future,” explains Aaron Duffy, creative lead and founder of SpecialGuest. Hence the innovative creation of an AI projection screen with an avatar voice from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. “I’m hoping that through this type of experience people can understand AI and how it exists around us – other than how we understand it through science fiction.”
It certainly differed from how we've seen sci-fi previously depicted through popular culture – such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. The AI creation, developed by Ross Goodwin, used a depth camera and cloud point data (in short: infrared beams that access objects in terms of space and volume rather than just 2D) to capture and project every little detail of the celebratory night. “The camera could look around the room, almost in any way, and any place that it wanted to – while making its own decisions,” explains Duffy. “Once it saw something, words would appear on the screen, labelling the things that it was identifying. For example, when it saw the table it would say: a table made of wood.”
The guests – which included familiar faces such as Carolyn Murphy, Ajak Deng, Camille Rowe, Emma Roberts, Emily DiDinato, Matthew Rhys and Justin Theroux – were all dressed in pieces from the brand’s autumn/winter 2019 collection and found the whole experience technologically insightful.
“After it finished identifying those things it would continue writing about what it sees,” explains Duffy. “That was probably the part that was most abstract for the people there. Ross has trained the AI on prose and poetry... After it would identify that the table was made from wood it would continue to say something poetic about it – something pretty abstract.”
Hosted by chief executive Marcus Wainwright, Christine Jones (director of Queen of the Night) and Nigel Godrich, the presentation encouraged guests to explore the parallel between today’s developing AI technology and how we interact in our own lives day-to-day. “When they go to a dinner they start off by having very little information about the people around them,” explains Duffy. “They share a meal, drinks and stories around the table and they take information as people and by the end of the night they’ve potentially made new friends because they’ve made decisions along the way – just like an AI. An AI at dinner really processes information the way that we do.”
It certainly differed from how we've seen sci-fi previously depicted through popular culture – such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. The AI creation, developed by Ross Goodwin, used a depth camera and cloud point data (in short: infrared beams that access objects in terms of space and volume rather than just 2D) to capture and project every little detail of the celebratory night. “The camera could look around the room, almost in any way, and any place that it wanted to – while making its own decisions,” explains Duffy. “Once it saw something, words would appear on the screen, labelling the things that it was identifying. For example, when it saw the table it would say: a table made of wood.”
The guests – which included familiar faces such as Carolyn Murphy, Ajak Deng, Camille Rowe, Emma Roberts, Emily DiDinato, Matthew Rhys and Justin Theroux – were all dressed in pieces from the brand’s autumn/winter 2019 collection and found the whole experience technologically insightful.
“After it finished identifying those things it would continue writing about what it sees,” explains Duffy. “That was probably the part that was most abstract for the people there. Ross has trained the AI on prose and poetry... After it would identify that the table was made from wood it would continue to say something poetic about it – something pretty abstract.”
Hosted by chief executive Marcus Wainwright, Christine Jones (director of Queen of the Night) and Nigel Godrich, the presentation encouraged guests to explore the parallel between today’s developing AI technology and how we interact in our own lives day-to-day. “When they go to a dinner they start off by having very little information about the people around them,” explains Duffy. “They share a meal, drinks and stories around the table and they take information as people and by the end of the night they’ve potentially made new friends because they’ve made decisions along the way – just like an AI. An AI at dinner really processes information the way that we do.”
The dinner – which was curated by Ignacio Mattos and Tamar Adler, with a special performance developed by choreographer Damien Jalet – showcased the brand’s latest collection. A fusion of military, sportwear, British tailoring and American workwear in a colour palette of orange, khaki, blue and black, emphasising its continuation of a functional aesthetic.
For Wainwright, the brand’s active role in pushing the boundaries within the fashion industry is something that they’ll continue to deliver. “It was a real test of its intelligence,” says Wainwright, reflecting on the successful evening and the use of AI technology. “In terms of the fashion industry, I think it [AI] will have a huge impact on how we interact in fashion. As a brand, we’re not afraid to accept that and to learn how we can push the boundaries, embracing the inevitable as we see an advancement in technology.”
For Wainwright, the brand’s active role in pushing the boundaries within the fashion industry is something that they’ll continue to deliver. “It was a real test of its intelligence,” says Wainwright, reflecting on the successful evening and the use of AI technology. “In terms of the fashion industry, I think it [AI] will have a huge impact on how we interact in fashion. As a brand, we’re not afraid to accept that and to learn how we can push the boundaries, embracing the inevitable as we see an advancement in technology.”
Having stepped away from traditional fashion shows in 2017, the brand has been an innovative force in delivering something different in terms of seasonal presentations. And the Last Supper follows suit. “Who else is going to take AI on from a non-functional point of view? A fashion brand can take the technology and try to understand its relationship to us on a cultural and emotional level,” says Duffy. “I think more and more of it will be happen in the future in fashion, but less out of fear and more out of responsibility.”
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