Amid the stillness of a Sunday evening, I embarked on an exploration of Copy, touted as "the world's first AI-powered fashion magazine" by its creator, Carl-Axel Wahlstrӧm. With every flip of the pages, an uncanny feeling gripped me. The "models" gracing these pages are composites, yet they exude a lifelike aura, complete with names as authentic as the brands themselves. As I delved deeper, I pondered the underlying purpose of Copy. Was I meant to be drawn into a realm of hyper-perfection where fashion transcends mere banality to embrace stereotypes? Wahlstrӧm had intended to evoke precisely this sense of disorientation, as he later revealed in our conversation.
A 41-year-old Swede with a background in marketing communication, Wahlstrӧm's career traversed realms of fast fashion, including collaborations with H&M, & Other Stories, Gant, and Björn Borg. Copy emerged not as a planned project but as an outgrowth of Wahlstrӧm's experimentation with AI. In a transformative moment, AI technology evolved, enabling him to generate strikingly realistic images. He embarked on this journey to create what he believes is the world's first AI fashion magazine. The end result is a testament to human ingenuity, knowledge, and craftsmanship blended seamlessly with AI's capabilities.
As the sole creative force behind Copy, Wahlstrӧm collaborated with Midjourney and Chat GBT to generate images and text that were then edited and retouched by humans. The images in Copy are so lifelike that the fundamental question arises: What exactly is an AI image? An AI image is a visual product achieved with the aid of computer-generated intelligence. It uses algorithms to craft images closely resembling real photographs, although they are entirely computer-generated. These AI images learn from a wide spectrum of real-world images to capture realism, effectively creating something out of nothing.
Wahlstrӧm utilized Midjourney, an algorithm deeply rooted in internet imagery, to craft Copy. Midjourney's unique style stems from its machine learning process, which involves images sourced from the internet. The images available on the internet essentially formed the basis for Midjourney's algorithm. Wahlstrӧm, in all his creativity, describes the process as a journey, an endeavor to capture the essence of aesthetics, imagery, stereotypes, norms, and more, shaping a final aesthetic. This aesthetic is a reflection of everything that has ever been uploaded to the internet, constituting a broad summary. However, the AI technology remains firmly rooted in black-and-white perspectives. It tends to categorize with stark distinctions, often lacking subtlety and nuances, making it a powerful yet imperfect creative partner.
Wahlstrӧm's objectives with Copy reach beyond mere beauty, delving into deeper questions and uncertainties within the fashion industry. As we peer at these images, the boundary between reality and illusion blurs, entwining his vision with moments of curiosity, irony, and critique. While acknowledging the imperfections and issues within the magazine, Wahlstrӧm's choice not to push the boundaries toward healthier stereotypes leaves us pondering the complexities of his creative endeavor. In a fashion landscape that often looks back instead of forward, Copy becomes a compelling narrative that challenges the industry's gaze and sparks introspection.
