Chanel, Coperni, Schiaparelli, and McQueen have one vision: a fashionable future where robots and humans share the runway
When Robots Hit the Runway
Bringing robots to the catwalk is a clever move for fashion brands looking to make a bold statement: we are not alone. Machines have long been our trusty companions, handling the tedious tasks that we find dull. And with the rise of AI, these robotic assistants and androids might soon become our stylish sidekicks.
Research into human-like robots has been ongoing for about a century. The concept of mechanical beings that work, play, and live with us (or despite us) is deeply ingrained in many cultures.
From Manga to Catwalks
Robots have been a staple feature in Japanese comics and movies, but only recently have they strutted the runway. During the March 2009 Tokyo Fashion Week, HRP-4C, a 158 cm tall black-haired female robot developed by Shuji Kojita of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, made her debut. Although she may not have had the poise of Kate Moss or Claudia Schiffer just yet, this “cybernetic human” with a futuristic silver-and-black body greeted the audience and modelled alongside human counterparts.
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Fast forward to today, Maison Meta has caused a sensation with an AI-generated fashion editorial for Italian Grazia magazine, published in April 2024. Based in New York, with offices in London and Paris, this generative AI creative studio was invited by Tom Dixon himself, the guest editor for that special issue. The resulting editorial featured androids and models, blending futuristic elements with strong retro vibes.
The New Fashion Crew: Robots and More
Over the years, a slew of visionary designers welcomed robots in their fashion shows. Alexander McQueen’s Spring-Summer 1999 collection featured two industrial robots spray-painting a white dress worn by Shalom Harlow. Though these robots were typically used for painting cars, the stunt highlighted McQueen’s genius and the potential of machines in the creative process.
Robotic marvels and androids have appeared in fashion shows, delivering powerful messages. Irina Shayk walked hand-in-hand with a robot on the runway for Philipp Plein’s Fall-Winter 2018/19 show at New York Fashion Week. Recently, Plein revealed his plans to integrate AI into his fashion projects, currently enhancing customer experience with AI.
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At Schiaparelli’s Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2024 show in Paris, top model Maggie Maurer cradled an AI-inspired robot baby adorned with crystals, computer circuit boards, electrical components, and microchips.
In 2018, the Ohmni robot by Silicon Valley’s OhmniLabs graced the catwalk of Los Angeles-based designer Honee’s show at London Fashion Week. The designer aimed to “marry fashion, culture, and technology into one harmonious balance.” The show was named AI, referencing Artificial Intelligence “and also the play on the Vietnamese word ÁI for love and the Chinese phonetic AI for love as well,” stated Honee. Her vision was for people to see Ohmni and robots as a part of everyday life, focusing on the present rather than the future.
During the Fall-Winter 2021/22 women’s fashion show broadcast on March 1st, 2021, Dolce&Gabbana featured iCub and R1 multifunctional humanoid robots created by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Genoa, Italy. Designers Stefano Dolce and Domenico Gabbana explained that the idea stemmed from the digital hangover of pandemic months. “It could only be a chapter steeped in technology,” they stated.
Boston Dynamic’s Spot robot dogs caused a sensation at Coperni’s Fall-Winter 2023/24 show at Paris Fashion Week. Founders Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant proclaimed, “Our message is one of optimism: humans and technology can coexist in harmony.”
Catwalks and Circuits: The Future of Fashion, According to Karl Lagerfeld
Once again, Karl Lagerfeld captured the Zeitgeist with flair. Models resembling robots made a striking impact at Chanel’s Spring-Summer 2017 Ready-to-Wear show, transforming the Grand Palais in Paris into a Data Center to deliver a message about the future of fashion. According to the maestro, “Even if you don’t like the idea, technology rules the world because it changed the world and it made many things easier.” Who could argue with such wisdom?
Gaia Giordani
Generative AI explorer and New Media Communication expert