Xander Zhou Spring 2024 – Evolution from Human to Machine in Post-Apocalyptic Era

Inspired by the extraordinary power of digital innovations, Xander Zhou makes a comeback to the Shanghai Fashion Week after a three-year hiatus, unveiling the Spring/Summer 2024 collection titled “Pro A.I.Volution”.

Across social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, fashion enthusiasts have become accustomed to the unique displays crafted by AI technology, whether it’s the digitally generated appearances of Anna Wintour on the red carpet or the uncanny valley trend prevalent on TikTok. Technology is intersecting with fashion more closely than ever, not just in garment production techniques but also potentially in replacing humans in key roles, from models to designers. However, the role of AI in the fashion world has received more criticism than support. For humans, especially creatives in the fashion industry, AI is a double-edged sword, serving as a vital support tool while also potentially depleting the creative thinking of designers.

Will humanity be annihilated by its own greatest innovations? For Zhou, artificial intelligence is not as menacing as many perceive it to be; instead, it’s a journey worth exploring. The Chinese-born designer shares, “Humanity creates AI, and we will make it smarter. We will create intelligent technological initiatives without losing the humanity aspect.”

In 2007, Zhou established his reputation and founded his eponymous menswear brand in Beijing, aiming to reshape the future of Chinese fashion. Xander Zhou is a key figure in the Chinese fashion scene, not only due to his unique creative thinking but also his ability to connect and build communities. Drawing from his studies in design and industrial product research, Zhou’s creative works consistently challenge traditional notions of men’s clothing.

Although a Beijing-based designer with his own brand, Xander Zhou has been an integral part of the London Fashion Week schedule for many years. However, having achieved certain milestones, Zhou conceived a new idea of “humanoid-wear.” With a concept that holds positive significance for humanity and brings a fresh breeze to the menswear market, Zhou decided to showcase his new work in his homeland, officially presenting the Xander Zhou Spring 2024 collection at the Shanghai Fashion Week.

In Zhou’s design language, “evolution” is a crucial term. The concept of “humanoid-wear” is not new to the designer’s mind. The fashion narrative first appeared in his Spring 2018 collection, when Zhou conceived the idea of “Supernatural, Extraterrestrial & Co.” Since then, the designer has created various types of humanoid characters, playing roles as Eastern sages, mad scientists, or businessmen. In the Spring/Summer 2019 collection, he made a deep impression with robotic arms added to the back. In this new showcase, these robotic arms have evolved into surrealistic assembly parts. They are anatomical appendages with multiple joints attached behind male models or transparent PVC “skin” programmed by AI worn alongside elegant suits.

Marking his return to the Shanghai runway after a period of absence, Zhou presented a Dystopian story, creating a quirky post-apocalyptic world. It was the appearance of mutants from all galaxies, gathering at a “Pro A.I Volution intergalactic exhibition” for viewers to witness the evolution process into machines. They walked around a dimly lit room with hundreds of eyes from spectators clad in blue and white attire. They were busy men on their phones for hours on end, wearing snug-fitting suits with robotic components integrated into various body parts. On their arms were large bags ready for tense meetings or research labs. Apart from a variety of fabrics, the breath of the future and the power of AI technology were manifested through transparent PVC materials, metallic zipper details, rivets, and robot-like details, as well as futuristic masks on a look mimicking the transformation process from human to machine.

The masterfully crafted pieces in Xander Zhou Spring 2024 may make Zhou’s collection a true haute couture showcase. However, haute couture demands too much historical imprints, which Zhou wants to define his brand more towards technology, and “that’s our DNA,” as the designer shares.

Perhaps we are entering a post-human era. Are we about to face an invasion from machines? Will robots replace humanity? Perhaps AI is not as frightening as we think, and Zhou has shown humanity through the words “I love you” on the phone screen. Perhaps the mutants in Xander Zhou Spring 2024 “want to feel and experience like humans; they also want to love and be loved like us.”