(001) This Sh*t Is HOT
Heels for 2030, Biomimicry Butterflies x Nike, Gaudism
Pet Liger by Constantinos Panayiotou
Pet Liger shoes are the first and only thing I’ve seen that remotely made me want to venture into the Metaverse. The digital craftsmanship and future-oriented design aesthetic are tangibly conceivable thanks to the images that break down how the shoe is constructed from different components. While it’s not clear whether there’s a generative element or process to this work (most is done in C4D from what I can ascertain, but some experimentations have been done with Midjourney), I finally feel excited by the prospect of digital fashion thanks to this Cypriot designer.
Some favourites…
The Cinnamon Swirl (pictured below), these heels that remind me of Mondrian, the beautiful gummy gradients on the Gentle Breeze Heels, the delicate profile of Nectar and this conch shell wrap heel concept.
@aidesign.png by Elmo Mistiaen
I have no idea what prompts Belgian designer Elmo Mistiaen is coming up with, but it sure as hell is working. As conversation builds around the increasing importance of curation in the wake of AI (see: How does status get signaled through aesthetic vibes when all the vibes are free?), what Elmo has mastered in my opinion is the casual iPhone-like quality of his images which stand out against the heavily rendered/gamified aesthetics that AI generations can lean towards.
Self-described as “biomimicry* outdoor fashion & weird design”, Elmo’s work is as though Yeezy and DALL-E 2 had a baby in the tundra, sponsored by Nike.
*Biomimicry is the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems.
Looking forward to seeing more experimentation from this artist. More of a sci-fi vibe and trypophobic at times, he’s also generated some sick puffers in his “corporate dystopia biomimicry” series I’d like to see IRL.
Gaudism
Gaudism is a project developed by Ariadna Giménez “exploring aspects of Catalan Modernism at different scales and translating it into a contemporary minimalist expression of natural forms, focusing on the curves, the dynamism, or fantastic feel that this movement generates”.
Inspired by legendary Catalan architect Gaudí, what struck me about Ariadna’s work is how difficult it is to distinguish from technical 3D art and renders I love from artists like Charlotte Taylor — the quality of these images using Midjourney is insane. See the comparison below where the organic, gravelly textures and curves are scarily within the same league, one AI generated and one meticulously rendered.
++ Extra Surf
My friend Nicolas Cevallos has been experimenting with Stable Diffusion and sharing some cool generations lately, especially this and this. He’s also a fantastic creative mind who works at Folch Studio in Barcelona and recently ran a workshop for the Beyond Branding Master
Jacquemus debuted his SS23 collection “Le Raphia”. Watch the show here
L.M. Sacasas’ new essay Lonely Surfaces: On AI-generated Images. "How will AI-generated images train our vision? What habit of attention does it encourage? What modes of engagement do they sustain?”
Felipe Rocha from iconic design studio PORTO ROCHA has unsurprisingly also generated some interesting images. I particularly love this and this from his Midjourney archive. In addition, PORTO ROCHA recently released “a collaborative report unraveling the state of design today” worth checking out as part of their Design Threads exhibition with Wix
“Clothes will function as a new interface” — What Will Fashion Be Like in 20 years?
This chair generated by Can Uzuner, the founder and creative director of KEIN
Drake in the Matrix 🤣 (AI generated)
