Ralph & Russo went with a multi-faceted approach to putting together a couture presentation. They were able to make a handful of looks to be shot in person on some models, and then created a CGI woman to “wear” a few more of the designs, digitally placing her in front of the wonders of the world. Tamara Ralph named her Hauli, which is a traditional Swahili name that means “strength and power,” and whom WWD says was created because Tamara Ralph was both missing traveling and mulling things like Our Carbon Footprint.
“It’s a very complicated and very painstaking process to bring couture to life in the digital space, much like creating a real piece of couture,” Ralph explained.“Some of the pieces were so intricate that they required each fringe, by way of example, to be individually built. Or each individual flower or jewel or otherwise ornate detail had to be individually placed on Hauli’s form. The entire process took just as long, if not longer, than it takes to make an entire physical collection, but I’m so glad we did it and I cannot wait to see the response,” she said.
So, yes, they made up a lady and gave her a very exciting work trip. I’m curious if, for all the talk of the environment, using tech is something fashion would ever pursue long-term if the world revives itself again. On the one hand: I love the environment and want us to stop killing it. On the other, I want a real-life Hauli to get to go on this journey someday. I am a walking contradiction.
The complete collection was released in the form of sketches, which is all we had access to, and I am wondering why in all of them the ladies’ faces only have one eye? WWD has Hauli and the flesh-and-bone ladies here, and they made a video about it that I’ve embedded below:
