In Paris, the futuristic world of artificial intelligence and the rank-and-file fashion industry collided before our eyes when a brand-new model presented eight of Ralph & Russo’s 52 couture looks in exquisite settings. Hauli, introduced to the fashion world just weeks ago, is brand-new because she is entirely artificial. In the world of technology, she is called an avatar. In the world of fashion, she’s called ground-breaking, unbelievable, and, certainly, unforgettable.
Hauli, who modeled eight couture looks for the couture house, is inspired by Swahili women. For the show, she was superimposed over landscapes of the seven wonders of the world. The results are breath-taking: the effect was realistic, yet futuristic and abnormally perfect.
In one swift – nay, deft – move, Ralph & Russo grabbed the world of fashion and forced the future of virtual presentations and artificial intelligence upon it.
“While avatars may not be necessarily new, I do feel that they are yet to be fully realized in the business of couture, given its inherent nature of tradition and craftsmanship,” said Ralph & Russo co-founder Tamara Ralph.
Of Hauli, Ralph said, “She is a beautiful black woman, whose name in traditional Swahili is synonymous with strength and power. The ultimate modern woman, fusing both old and new, elegance and strength.” The backdrop against the collection was a digital recreation of the Colosseum in Rome, Petra in Jordan, the Great Wall of China, Chichén Itzá in Mexico, the Taj Mahal, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer and the lost city of Machu Picchu.