ANNAKIKI Fall/Winter 2022 Collection At MFW
Milan Fashion Week continued despite growing tension in Europe and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. ANNAKIKI in collaboration with Los Angeles artist Behnaz Farahi created an experience to share their vision of post-humanity.
Background
Designer Anna Yang founded the brand ANNAKIKI. Following the brand’s introduction to Milan Fashion Week in 2017, they have been presenting collections every season.
According to ANNAKIKI.com, Yang is the first fashion designer to show an AI-enhanced collection. Similar to the brand’s other shows the F/W 22 collection was accompanied by AI technology.
According to Metal Magazine, Yang was raised in a family of tailors, which gave her the opportunity to grow her technical skills. Before the brand’s first show at MFW in 2017, Yang has been refining the brand in China for five years.
Aliens and an otherworldly existence inspired ANNAKIKI’s first show in MFW. So, it seems only fitting that her collections follow the pattern, including the most recent collection.
F/W 22 Collection
The new collection entitled Post-Human Code centers around technology and the idea of extraterrestrial life, just like the brand’s previous collections. The show incorporated AI technology to tell the story of a cyborg model watching the runway and audience throughout the show.
At the front of the runway the “Returning the Gaze” installation created by Behnaz Farahi captured the attention of the audience. The installation included four robotic arms surrounding a model and holding monitors. Throughout the show, the monitors acted as eyes viewing the collection.
Surrealist garments captured Yang’s vision of a post-human existence. Super-long silhouettes, exaggerated shapes, sharp structure, and 3D sculpted clothing moved around the runway under the watchful eyes of the cyborg.
Keeping consistent with the brand’s overall vision, the garments featured mixed metal materials, daring textures, and imaginative forms. The collection aims to blur the lines of the human form to create an all-new post-human look.