“What is Technology?”: The Vault’s FW23 Fashion Show
Written by Lenah Helmke
Technology is ingrained into all aspects of modern society and the speed of creation has surpassed human comprehension. From transportation to AI, our world is unrecognizable compared to just five years ago.
On Dec. 3, The Vault’s 2023 fall fashion show, “What is Technology?” zeroed in on the evolution of technology through research, visual expression and precise narration. The show took place in a two-tiered event space in Grainger Hall and mimicked an industrial globe through innovative decorations. The room included LED lights, toy cars and a mannequin displaying a structured white dress with a retro TV outlining her face. These installations felt like they had been stolen from the past and given a new life, capturing the rapid technological advances throughout past decades. In doing so, the glow-in-the-dark hangers and red TV frame illustrated a futuristic vision.
What made this show unique, however, was the attention to detail and focus on creating a feeling beyond the visual elements. This was achieved by Daniella Orozco’s narration, in which she connected each outfit’s description with a different theme, using a voice that felt naturally robotic and programmed. Furthermore, the dimly-lit room felt electronic, from the beat of the music to the walk of each model.
Today, we often forget about the extensive areas of technology, restricting our knowledge to the workings of our phone or car. However, the technology industry goes beyond what we experience with our naked eye, and The Vault’s fall fashion show brought attention to this. “Technology” highlighted over 30 themes that educated the audience on the complex industry of technology, while simultaneously displaying garments with corresponding meaning.
The themes included:
programming, hardware/computers, nuts and bolts
cloud computing, hacking and glitches, pixels
electrical engineering and e-waste
robotics, 3D printing, and digital media
naval, ground, aero, and space aviation
weather forecasting
deepfakes and fiber optics
radiology, criminal justice
gaming, avatars and identities
music, time telling, entertainment and film, special effects, photography
home entry, surveillance, cybersecurity, and generative AI
Each theme ranged from one to four looks designed and constructed by numerous members of The Vault. To open, Tudor Popa and Henri Clarke designed and coded a look for the theme “Programming,” which contained LED lights among dark baggy jeans and a black fitted blazer. The look was modeled by Jake Spachner, who carried the machine in hand that ran the workings of his own outfit.
The garments to follow brought new innovations and broke practical barriers we often prioritize. This included a mini skirt created by Marlo Pulliam and Melina Zarboulas, constructed entirely out of New York City metro cards.
“Metro cards have revolutionized the way we access and use public transportation,” Orozco said as model Cynthia Chang walked. “These smart cards, embedded with technology, allow for quick and convenient fare payment and entry into subways, buses, and trams.”
Metro cards are now normalized and expected in our society. Artificial Intelligence, or AI, on the other hand, is a new concept to us all. The theme, “Deepfakes,” displayed an anonymous model with an AI generated mask, a metallic hoodie created by Sarah Ambrosius and black pants.
“These synthetic media are created using deep learning algorithms and AI to manipulate or replace elements within images, videos and audio recordings,” Orozco narrated. “One of the primary concerns surrounding deepfakes is their potential to deceive and manipulate, as they can convincingly fabricate content that appears genuine.”
In the modern age, technology can be exciting and frightening at the same time. Through careful execution, The Vault’s fashion show gave the audience a realistic view of how our society has evolved alongside technology and showcased student art across countless mediums.
