by With world politics changing at boxing pace in recent weeks, Elon Musk took advantage of fashion to take a jab at the world’s current powers by sharing an AI-generated virtual runway show featuring world political leaders and tech giants.
The SpaceX founder and Trump campaign supporter posted the fake virtual fashion show Sunday on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, which he controls and is the largest shareholder of. Pope Francis opens the digital event wearing a white Balenciaga-like puffer coat similar to the deep fake one created in Midjourney that went viral last year. Running less than two minutes, the AI-generated show also features the likenesses of Russian president Vladimir Putin in a Louis Vuitton-inspired rainbow strapless dress, Kamala Harris in a coconut-like bikini top and “Harris 2024” printed skirt and Donald Trump. Trump in an orange prison jumpsuit that looks like a pin with “LV” logos on the chest and dangling cuffs.
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Musk has pledged $45 million to a pro-Trump PAC, as the former president continues his re-election bid. The video also features a Hillary Clinton-inspired character in a red pantsuit covered in what appear to be “Supreme” logos – (the second “e” is absent); a Joe Biden-inspired figure can be seen wearing aviator sunglasses and a camouflage suit heading down the runway in a wheelchair, while North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to be wearing a chunky gold chain and hooded coat covered in images of and “Kim” printed across the chest. The fake virtual runway show on “X.” had 104.6 million views.
Ih his post “High time for an AI fashion show”, Musk also focuses on himself – something – first naked in a sumo wrestler’s suit and then in a brave black suit with a Tesla cover. Unlike the other virtual models, who have only one runway look, the character inspired by former president Barack Obama has 13 ensembles, including two of the gladiators printed with “Hope.”
There are also AI-generated takes – or perhaps more appropriately fakes – of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos wearing a bill-printed ensemble with a “B” designed to look like a dollar sign; Tim Cook’s avatar is wearing a MacBook Pro attached to a translucent pendant with a black top, an “Apple” logo belt, a black printed skirt and a black handbag, and a Mark Zuckerberg-inspired form is seen in a Speedo swimsuit with an “FB” logo.
Musk is no stranger to fashion. His mother Maye has been a model for more than 50 years, as well as running a catering business. The 76-year-old revealed last month that she had four cover shoots in the works. Asked to comment on Elon’s virtual runway show post and how fashion is being used to make politics more relatable, Maye Musk declined. Her manager Anna Sherman chose to pass and said via email, “These matters are not Maye’s areas of expertise.”
A spokesman for Supreme said the company would not comment, and a Louis Vuitton spokesman did not respond to requests for comment Monday afternoon.
Lynn University associate professor of marketing Andrew Burnstine said Monday that the AI-powered show highlights the “surreal intersection of politics, technology and celebrity culture.”
Burnstine, whose students are learning about the importance of AI in fashion and marketing, said Musk’s world leaders show is reminiscent of Moschino’s “heard commentary through fashion in recent years. It was an event that blended satire, technology and cultural critique,” he said. “Today, we see a new commentary on fashion, through the lens of AI and advanced technology.”
World leaders’ ensembles serve as “bold visual statements about their personalities and public opinion,” Burnstine said.
Carl-Axel Wahlström, creative director at The Copy Lab, a full-service studio that uses AI imagery, described the world leaders’ runway show video as “a beautiful example of how genetic AI can be used in a fun and creative way.” He said he hopes that “people in power get inspired and just like superheroes get the opportunity to dress in ways that clearly express who they are or who they want to be.”
From Wahlström’s point of view, the video is a reminder of the sampling culture that was popular in music during the 1990s, “when technology enabled new ways to reshape brands and powerful people. In the same way that hip-hop said through the music at the time, the choice of clothes and styling in this video is spot on,” he said. “Fashion is fun and playful, and should always challenge styles and trends by mixing ideas with new technology.”
He expects that much of what we will see in the future will involve “provocative ideas created with a combination of randomness and talent,” Wahlström said. And like celebrities or influencers, politicians can use fashion to connect with different demographics and convey messages without words. Just as politicians wearing casual or trendy clothes can appear “more approachable and in touch with ordinary people, adopting different styles and cultural elements can allow them to “show respect and solidarity with different communities,” he said. Wahlström. “The use of fashion helps to break down barriers, make politicians look more like regular people and build a stronger bond with the public.”
The final shot of Musk’s runway show post, featuring a Bill Clinton lookalike character holding a monitor that reads, “Your computer has encountered a problem and needs to be restarted,” provides a “chilling reminder of the pervasive presence of AI and his ability. to both entertain and monitor,” Burnstine said. “This commentary illustrates the dual nature of technology: its ability to create imaginative and prescient experiences and its fundamental role in data collection and control.”
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