The internet has been buzzing with a viral image of the Pope wearing a Balenciaga puffer jacket, highlighting the rise of digital influence and the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the fashion industry. This unlikely image signifies the beginning of a new digital era, where AI-driven creative tools are shaping and redefining narratives.
The Incognito Influencer Project serves as a creative and experimental laboratory, testing the potential of new AI tools on new narrative models inspired by auto-fiction. In this genre, the author, narrator, and protagonist merge into one. Stéphane Galienni, a digital artist and creative director of the agency BLSTK, explores the concept of digital AI identity, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. This exploration takes place against the backdrop of Fashion Weeks in major cities like New York, London, Milan, and Paris.
The project originated from the LUXE INTELLIGENC.IA study conducted by the agency, which identified over 30 virtual influencer accounts in the fashion, luxury, beauty, and lifestyle sectors. These influencers were created using emerging AI tools in the United States and Asia, accumulating hundreds of thousands of followers within just six months. These AI influencers, such as @feli.airt, @Caryin.ai, and @MillaSofia, embody a particular aesthetic and cater to specific market segments, deviating from the inclusive and streetwear luxury codes adopted by brands targeting Gen Z consumers.
One noteworthy AI influencer is @annekerdi, a Breton model who stands out from the typical “bimbo” archetype. @annekerdi embraces her Breton heritage and often appears in traditional costumes, making her a potential muse for the Kering group. However, it is important to note that these AI creations differ from each other across various publications, with variations in hair color, morphology, and eye color, suggesting that the aesthetic surgery capabilities of AI are not yet fully refined.
The author recounts their personal experience with AI, discovering a plugin that grafts their face onto any image generated by Midjourney through a YouTube tutorial. The author’s digital clone, created from a disheveled morning selfie, becomes a handsome man in his forties, reflecting the tiredness of the author’s face after a sleepless night. The concept of eternal youth embodied in the Faustian pact between humans and AI becomes an appealing idea for the luxury industry. This also prompts questions about digital identity and the prevalence of filters and aesthetic corrections in influencer selfies.
The author decides to use their digital clone to infiltrate the front row of major fashion shows digitally. By following shows live on YouTube, researching trends, and matching their generated images with those taken by influencers on the ground, the author aims to create credible visuals of their presence at these shows. They then engage in daily storytelling, drawing inspiration from automatic writing used by surrealist artists. Each publication imagines what happens next, resembling comic strips or photo novels.
The “Incognito Influencer” character is conceived as a fashion anti-hero, clumsily and naively attempting to infiltrate the industry. The character becomes a star model at New York Fashion Week for an avant-garde young designer, forms a boy band called The Pooples in London, meets a struggling entrepreneur in Milan, and showcases their own fashion brand in Paris. The storytelling is based on the “photorealism” of AI-generated images, intertwined with the hero’s romantic adventures.
Through this project, it becomes evident that AI-generated images are powerful tools for storytelling, enhancing a brand’s creative imagination. It does not replace the creativity and expertise of professionals such as creatives, copywriters, and communication strategists but rather executes their ideas with brilliance. Rather than fearing AI, it should be seen as a valuable resource for enhancing brand narratives.
To be continued…
Useful links:
– BLSTK (the agency behind the Incognito Influencer Project)
– Midjourney (the platform that allows the author to graft their face onto AI-generated images)
