Meet GFF Talent, Pia-Maria Leberfinger, a fashion design graduate from AMD Akademie Mode & Design. Her final collection inspiration is set 100 years from now, in the year 2120. Exo-2120 is a future-thinking capsule of pieces that respond to the climate crisis and imagine what will be worn in the future. Aesthetically, the collection takes inspiration from retro-futurism of the 1950s, and Pia-Maria has meticulously built out the world around her collection. To learn more, read on below!
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
“Yesterday's dreams are today's hopes and the realities of tomorrow." - Goddard, space pioneer. Exo-2120 We are in the year 2120. A world in which the effects of climate change lead to global temperature extremes of up to +70.7 degrees - 93.2 degrees. The reason for this: the unrestricted burning of fossil resources. As a result, the types of clothing we wear today are no longer an appropriate way to optimally support our bodies in this harsh climate. Instead of "normal" pants and jackets, intelligent membranes have emerged as a new form of clothing. This bachelor thesis in the fashion design course begins thematically in the past. What dreams did people have in the fifties and sixties? What does “retro-futurism” mean in this context? A leap into the present follows: Which forecasts have actually come true and how does one see the future in 2020?
The last part of the scientific text deals with the utopia Exo-2120. The fashion collection Exo-2120 therefore acts as a speculation about our world in exactly 100 years. What does this future look like and how will this affect our understanding of fashion? The project does not want to be integrated into the scientific concepts of the future, but rather to be seen as an imaginative, innovative solution for our textile future. A perspective for 2120 is brought to light that should inspire and make enthusiasm for the future possible again. Exo-2120, a collection in which “the future wasn‘t yesterday”. The special thing about this bachelor‘s collection is its experimental character. Visualized with the latest 3D design softwares such as CLO 3D, DAZ 3D and BLENDER, the end product is an animated presentation with realistic avatars in a digital landscape of the future.
The type of implementation was chosen primarily based on current developments in the fashion industry. There is now no question that the design process will continue to shift into the digital area in the future. During the work it was also examined how well resource conservation, time management and creativity in the digital design process can be transposed with the current state of the softwares. Joseph Beuys‘ motto applies: “The future that we want must be invented. Otherwise we get one that we don‘t want. ” This bachelor thesis is the result of that. The result of extensive research into statements about the future of our world, own considerations and wishes.
As the Viennese journalist Arthur Brehmer wrote in the preface to his sequel to “The World in 100 Years”: “It has always been mankind‘s great longing to lift the veil of the future and take a look at the times that will come when we are no more. Prophets and seers have arisen for us, false and real, dreamers and predictors. Men who themselves have laid the germ of what will become (...). We are all looking for initiatives, groundbreaking technologies and sustainable innovations that will help the fashion industry to finally steer the 21st century constructively. I believe that 3D design can make all the difference.
What form will your final project take?
Important to emphasise: Although the focus of my work is the creation and animation of digital fashion, I still sewed real prototypes for all of the 6 Outfits of the collection. These prototypes are made of substitute materials, which should reflect the materials in reality intended. The bachelor's collection Exo-2120 consists of 6 outfits (prototypes) with 23 parts in total. The aesthetics of Exo-2120 are strongly based on the retro-futurism of the 1950s. Especially voluminous, soft and swaying fifties silhouettes served as inspiration to get the thought of dreamy freedom and euphoria. The collection's colour scheme has strongly borrowed from the retro aesthetic of Wes Anderson's film worlds. Those could be described as loving and cranky.
The gender issue and its clichés no longer play a role in 2120. This collection is considered gender neutral to see, any outfit can be worn by any gender. The changed climatic conditions force people to focus on functionality and material innovation. Conversely, this means a composition of the collection items from technically high advanced fabrics. The majority consists of (coated) nylon or polyester fabrics, the rest of neoprene and lycra. All the textile technologies mentioned below are based on the research work by Schoeller Switzerland. The collection Exo-2120 considers the company's textile innovations for 2120 to be common technologies applied to all garments: A membrane is always applied to the nylon fabrics in the collection, which is breathable, wind- and water-repellent as well as heat-retaining. Thus there is an optimal body climate guaranteed.
The neoprene garments have so-called "phase change materials" within their polymer structure. These react to temperature differences. In order to be able to introduce phase change materials into textiles, they are wrapped in a protective cover (microcapsule from a few micrometers in diameter). This prevents leakage during the liquid phase and the garment remains washable, dry-cleanable and weatherproof. The full body suits made of lycra work with a special equipment technology, which offers optimal protection against heat and UV rays. The result is noticeably better heat management. In order not to lose the feel and connection to the natural, the human, lace and leather were also used for the accessories. In addition, another textile innovation should make life easier for people in 2120 and provide a new visual aesthetic. These are “Active Auxetic Structures,” an invention of MIT Media Lab in Massachusetts. They behave adapted to the respective wearer, like the pores of human skin. The functioning of these structures takes place at the micro level within the textiles.
This means that no structure can be seen with the naked eye, a change in the surface of the fabric only occurs when there is a change in temperature, light or humidity. It should be mentioned that this bachelor's project in the fashion design course is implemented in very a special way. Only the prototypes of the looks are sewn. The original collection, on the other hand, is completely digitally developed. With regard to foreseeable developments within the fashion industry, i.e. the increasing use of digital editing and design programs, as well as the need for digital fashion shows, the collection Exo-2120 is also digitally created, animated and presented.
A combination of the programs CLO 3D, DAZ 3D and BLENDER is used for this project. My bachelor collection will come in the form of a booklet (magazine) with editorial photos, product images, illustrations, technical drawings, mood boards, 3D renderings etc. The end product also contains two self-produced videos: One of them is a video of the shoot of my prototypes. The second one is an animated video of my avatars wearing the digital clothing while walking around in my self-designed virtual world. Exo-2120 will be presented on a digital platform the AMD Akademie Mode & Design is going to launch in March of 2021. This website functions as a replacement platform for the presentation of this year's fashion graduate collections.
What materials have you used and how did you source them?
As explained in the question above, I sewed only the prototypes of the looks for Exo-2120. Exo-2120 is created as one of the worldwides first digitally created and animated fashion collections. The prototypes are made of substitute materials, which should reflect the materials in reality intended. Exo-2120 is set in a possible future of our world as we face the harsh effects of the climate crisis. In order to optimally support our body in this new environment, textiles are required that have a highly functional character. For this reason, I have planned materials for my collection that work on compression and stretching or with the help of special membranes, i.e. specialize in supporting the body.
Again: only comparison materials (polyester / nylon, neoprene and lycra) were used for the prototypes, which clearly show the desired shape and movement of the fabrics. For people who are not yet so familiar with the medium of 3D technology, this is also a good opportunity to visualize the textile considerations haptically. It was important to me to find nylon materials that are very light and rather translucent. Although nylon is more of a technical material, I wanted to give it a certain poetry and dreamy freedom through the type of cuts (inspiration: 1950's silhouettes). The full body suits of the collection are made of very stretchy lycra fabric. I use full body suits, because in the future of 2120, in the best case every centimeter of the body should be covered and protected (due to cold / heat and, for example, sandstorms). The reason for the use of neoprene, especially with items of clothing such as corsages, was to replace the actually restrictive character of the corsage with pleasant wearing comfort and climate regulation. In addition, beautiful, large silhouettes could be created with the neoprene, which guarantee a self-confident and a kind of theatrical appearance. This theatrical appearance was particularly important because each of the avatars created should represent its own personality with character and a profession.
Each of the six digitally created avatars has its own personality. There is William, the neo-farmer. His job: urban agriculturist. Where do we get fruit, vegetables and dairy products from when there is no more free cultivation area? Urban farmers take care of it. The combination of their architectural and agricultural knowledge makes them experts in high-rise and underground construction. William is married to Joyce, an AI psychologist. She takes care of the psychological state of artificial intelligences. In the future, they will be able to empathize with people. In order to avoid the costly deletion of the system and relearning of the robots, they will receive therapy lessons from AI psychologists. The next profession is Danny, a Neo Art broker. In the future, art brokers will be responsible for trading in art goods. Due to his job, he has often worked with Gloria, a drone artist. In the year 2120, drone artists use whole droves of drones to produce the most creative art performances. There is also a new profession in medicine: the nanomedicine technician. The character with the name Edward represents this profession. As a nanomedicine technician, he puts together individual treatment options for diseases on the basis of nanoparticles.
Last but not least, there's Bonnie, a nostalgologist. A nostalgologist is a kind of interior designer. It could create a home for wealthy older people in the future that reflects their favorite decade. For example, he designs a living room from the 50s or a bathroom from the 70s. Viewed individually, the avatars are symbolic of different professional groups in the future. Together they form an exemplary image of society for the year 2120. This concept is also followed by the beat “Exo”, a sound track specially developed for this Bachelor project. The beat runs in the background of the digital fashion show. Towards the end of the video, the melody of the beat breaks down into individual tone sequences, which symbolize the various avatars and their personalities. The overall rhythm of the beat reflects the unity of the tone sequences, i.e. the avatars as a community. Information In the original collection (digital fashion collection) the same kind of materiality is planned, but with the membranes described in the previous question. Sourcing Due to the corona pandemic, I searched for and ordered all of my fabrics on the internet. Since I only had to order replacement materials, I had no problems with this type of material sourcing.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas and what have you learnt along the way?
Conclusion on working with digital design software Various design software was used in this bachelor thesis. It started with DAZ 3D. This program can be described as a 3D modeling tool that is particularly suitable for positioning and displaying 3D models of people. In my case, body parts, facial expressions, make-up, hair etc. were modeled. In addition, the digital landscape was developed in DAZ 3D. The entire collection was finally created in CLO 3D, attached to the avatars previously created in DAZ 3D. The movements and the catwalk of the individual avatars were then animated in CLO 3D. Now to my experience: Working with a wide variety of design software can promote creativity enormously, provided you are practiced enough.
However, it is particularly noticeable in CLO 3D that there are not yet the right tools for various needs. For example, there is a lack of tools to realistically reproduce and animate elastic cords and cord stoppers or to simply visualize the lacing of a corsage. But I would like to address another point: the time factor. With the right technical requirements, i.e. in the best case a graphics PC with a good graphics card and high RAM, a digital design in CLO 3D can be created comparatively quickly. Not, however, if external avatars (e.g. from DAZ 3D) are used and the designs involved are multi-layered, complicated. I would say that right now you are just as fast or slow here as when sewing a “real” collection. In any case, it was a valuable experience to digitally go through the design process from the selection and creation of the 3D models, through the production of the collection pieces, to the final presentation.
It is precisely the difficult times that make a return to the dreams of yore possible. But this hope is being lost more and more these days. In addition to natural disasters, economic crises and humanitarian emergencies, the picture of the future is rather frightening for most people. We are constantly torn between dreams of the future, the present and the past. A German proverb also says: “Dreams are foams”, like soap bubbles they can burst in front of the eyes. Or maybe not, because life is unpredictable and constantly offers new possibilities. Perhaps in 20 years we will also see a wave of retro-futurism. Similar to how it was in the 70s of the last century. Will our grandchildren also look at our future plans retrospectively and describe our dreams and plans as utopian? Exciting questions that the future will bring us. "Thinking is the work of the intellect, dreaming is its pleasure." - Victor Hugo
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?
Future dreams from yesterday: We dare to look back to the time when our grandfathers and grandmothers imagined different versions of the future. This is known as retro-futurism. What is meant by this is the reappraisal of the ideas of the future that were cultivated in the past, shaped our present, and are still, so to speak, on our backs. For about 150 years, dreaming into the distant days of a future time has been booming. At that time the artists, draftsmen, poets and visionaries outbid each other with all kinds of prognostic fantasies. They even created their own music for the future. Retro-futurism reached its peak in the fifties and sixties of the last century. At that time, the future of the world was viewed much more optimistically than today. At that point in time, the future was more beautiful.
People's longing revolved primarily around the stars and space. The visions of the 50s and 60s testified to this. Nuclear energy in particular should send mankind into an age of progress. Back then, people imagined clinically clean mega-cities, below ground people were transported from A to B in rocket-like trains, and above the ground glass-like automobile-like capsules circled in the radiant sky. A quick trip to Mars in comfortable spaceships is also possible. In the visions of that time everything is healthier, bigger and faster. Everyone owns a house, a robot and a rocket car, and there is enough for everyone. The main reasons for the collective optimism of the 1950s were the economic miracle and the advances in space travel. There was a mood of firm belief in technology, progress and future security. One thought of the world of a distant future with hope.
Future dreams from today: With visions about the future, people today will always be more careful. The horizon that was conceivable at that time is no longer exceeded today. Rather, it seems as if the growing knowledge of the development of the world is nipping any imagination in the bud. The future will be worse than the present. Many are sure of that at the moment. But isn't it just because of the current challenges to encourage utopian thinking again? We are in a society of upheaval, a fragile construct. We're looking for ways to create a more social, sustainable economy.
The year 2020 taught us how fragile humanity can be. In addition to concerns about jobs, security and the climate, there was fear of the deadly pandemic. Was everything better and clearer in the past? Many long for the optimism of the 1950s and 1960s or no longer develop any visions of the future at all. What are the consequences for a society that is already beginning to lose its inner cohesion? Encouraging visions are missing nowadays, but our reality has also become extremely complex. For this reason, those responsible often prefer stagnation. There are currently strong parallels to the industrial revolution. Most people do not yet really realize how dramatically machines will change our reality. At the time, especially in France and Germany, many were of the opinion that life just goes on as it has before. At that time nobody could have suspected that industrialization would also mean the end of the rule of the church and the nobility, which had existed for 2000 years. We are in a similar situation now. The idea that AI will only help people as better assistance software would be too short-sighted.
Reality check 2020: More and more carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulates in our atmosphere. The reasons for this are, on the one hand, extensive deforestation and, on the other, the unchecked burning of fossil resources. These include, for example, oil and coal. Gases such as nitrous oxide (laughing gas, N2O) or methane make things even more difficult due to agriculture. All of the gases just mentioned support the greenhouse effect immensely. It has been established that the accumulation of these gases in the environment leads to a warming of the lower air layers. The following expected climate changes can be derived from scenario calculations by the Federal Environment Agency for the 21st century (IPCC, 2007): A mean global temperature increase in the range 1.8 to 4.0 degrees Celsius is assumed by the year 2100. Such temperature changes are greater than all natural temperature changes that have been observed in the last few centuries. This is happening at a speed that has not been observed in the last 10,000 years. When you hear the term “anthropogenic climate change”, most people consider it a form of gradual warming. However, one must not forget that particularly strong or sudden climatic changes can occur.
Future dreams of the day after tomorrow: At the end of 2017, DIE ZEIT magazine published a clear call for utopia to be preserved. The interesting thing about utopias, however, is the tension they have with reality - exactly what years later one can perceive as curious or even true. Only when you look at what is possible you can see the real in its entirety. However, our utopias have been largely the same for centuries. With the bachelor thesis Exo-2120, a utopia of its own should be formulated for the world in exactly 100 years. From a scientific point of view, the context of this work is based on the assumption of an “exo-evolution” of humanity.
What is an exo-evolution?: People, machines, material - that was the equation of the 20th Century. With the help of machines and materials, people made objects. Meanwhile, people also distribute and create data with media. So the equation for the 21st century will be determined by: people, media, data. An exo-evolution will emerge as the result of the whole: Due to technical progress, humans will develop so much in their skills that they will step out of natural evolution and direct the improvement of their species and environment themselves. The internalized natural evolution, which claimed millions of years, will be relocated to a technical environment according to the law of the acceleration of history and these new modes of a technical existence will change, expand, strengthen the natural existence of humans, animals, plants and things.
Exo-2120 - A report: The year is 2120. Climate change has changed the world significantly, not just the environment, society also had to redefine itself in order to meet the changed requirements. It is important to emphasize: The world in 2120 has little to do with our present-day world, both visually and because of its structures. The project Exo-2120 does not want to be integrated into the scientific concepts of the future. Instead, a (fashionable) perspective for 2120 is brought to light that is supposed to inspire.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
In life we are taught that something that sounds too good to be true is likely to be. In an effort to protect ourselves from disappointment. However, Optitex (global software provider of integrated 2D-3D Computer Aided Design solutions) recently presented a wealth of evidence to confirm what we have known for a long time: 3D implementation in the fashion and retail industries is a "match made in heaven". The practice of physical sampling, the creation of prototypes and shipping materials are some of the ways the apparel and footwear industry contributes around 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to consulting firm Quantis. With younger consumer cohorts now more anxious than ever to shop from transparent, responsible brands, the need to incorporate sustainability into the product development and design process becomes increasingly important. Although 3D technology is well established in many other industries, it is still relatively new to the fashion industry.
The problem is that there is a lack of contact persons who would make it easier for companies to use and get started with these technologies. But the tools are already starting to transform apparel companies - from design and development to 3D printing to technologies that help consumers buy better fitting clothes. The introduction of 3D design technology into the clothing industry brings numerous benefits. While the design process and the time to market can be drastically shortened, it is also possible to communicate with different departments in real time, to make decisions in real time, to optimize planning and to increase the quality of the creative process. However, the advantages go far beyond that and can be used in a targeted manner. The designer, for example, can already work out the pattern creation digitally in CLO3D. This eliminates the need for the steps of creating a real sample, which would then have to be further modified.
Sections can be further processed in CLO3D at any time and finally also exported. So everything can be bundled in 2D and 3D, for which it actually requires several sample runs. Fitting problems and the subsequent changing of dimensions are also reduced to a minimum of time with CLO3D. This technology enables product developers to adopt changes more quickly, access libraries with industry standard elements and thus design more cost-effectively. The use of CLO3D can easily be combined with other CAD (Computer-Aided Design) tools that are already used in a company's design process. With consistently new releases and functions, CLO3D strives to offer the most advanced all-in-one software solution. As soon as the first piece of clothing is created, you can let your creativity run free and try out a variety of fabrics and prints. With the collection Exo-2120, I would like to be part of this process of digitization in the fashion industry and help promote this structural change in the industry towards more sustainability and better time management. 3D is not just a valuable tool but should be the new communicative standard of the fashion industry.
What is your plan once you finish your BA?
After completing my studies in fashion design at the AMD Akademie Mode & Design in Munich, I would like to work as a designer in the fashion industry. I would like to continue focus on working in 3D design, as I see extreme potential in the market here. However, I like to be creative at all levels, which is why I also consider a change in my path in a different direction possible. My main goal is to be able to work in a leading position in the fashion industry in the near future, where I can express my ways of thinking and be a part of the changing process of the industry.