Mark Hanbunjerd - Iteration 2: "Somewhere in Between"

Iteration 2: "Somewhere
in Between"

Second 1/3 of AI Capstone project: Low/Medium/High Integration of AI

Conceptual Design Project: Collaborating with AI co-designers to create a one-off jacket that strays away from the traditional forms in fashion.

In this project, I explored what it means to collaborate with AI as a designer rather than simply use it as a tool. Using the design of an asymmetrical, non-adjacent jacket as a shared canvas, I worked with multiple anthropomorphized GPT-4 chatbots: Dexter, Elias, and Adrian, each given specific roles and aware of one another, creating a small design “team.” Rather than following a strict linear workflow, the project evolved through ongoing dialogue, fittings, and iteration, allowing the interaction between human and AI to shape the garment’s form and direction.

View the Overarching Project

Notable Award: John C. Kerr Chancellor Emeritus Excellence in Design Award, 2024

Detailed View

Final Garment

White "Extruded" form contrasting with the softer,
more organic form of the jacket.

Stretch closure, inspired by organic tendrils

Hook closure on collar

Rigid, structured arm, inspired by flanges in Industrial Design

Material/Trims/Notions

2.5 Layer Coated
Technical Shell
W-POL-25LC-120-DKB
100% Polyester
UC: Primary fabric

Plainweave Polyester
W-POL-PLN-110-BLK
100% Polyester
UC: Lining Fabric

15D Matte Nylon Ripstop
W-NYL-RPS-30-TPE
100% Nylon
UC: Interior insulation shell

Lightweight Nylon Twill
W-NYL-TWL-60-IVR
100% Nylon
UC: Semi-translucent left arm, Extruded triangular form going across the bodice

Double Knit Polyester
K-POL-DBLT-220-IVR
96% Polyester, 4% Spandex
60% Stretch, 2-way
UC: Stretchy knit going across the bodice

Sewable Foam Stabilizer
S-POL-SFW-240-IVY
100%Thermoplastic Polyurethane
UC: Left arm interior structure

Polyester Fiberfill
F-POL-FIL-200-WHT
100% Polyester
UC: Jacket Fill

Grosgrain Ribbon
T-POL-GGR-20-BLK
100% Polyester
20mm Width

Rigilene Boning
M-POL-BON-12-BLK
100% Polyester
12mm Width

Grosgrain Ribbon
T-POL-GGR-10-BLK
100% Polyester
10mm Width

Stainless Steel Wire
M-STS-SSW-4-SIL
100% Stainless Steel
4mm Diameter

Snaps
H-STL-SNP-15-BLK
Steel, Nickle-plated/Coated
15mm Diameter

Material Consideration:
For this concept jacket, I wanted to create a strong tension between soft, organic volumes and sharp, rigid forms, then chose materials to push that contrast. The structured, white arm and "extruded" form uses lightweight nylon twill, foam stabilizer, boning, and stainless steel wire to provide structure in parts of the jacket where it is needed, while also having a crisp hand and feeling almost architectural in nature. The semi-translucent fabric also showcases its inner framework when light passes through. In contrast, the dark "organic" body reuses the same 2.5-layer coated shell from the previous project, now forming deep drapes on the right sleeve, supported by plainweave polyester, 15D matte nylon ripstop, and polyfill to quietly build volume underneath, and the stretchy double-knit closure behaves like organic tendrils that pull the torso together instead of using traditional fastenings.

THE RESEARCH PROCESS: How will the creative process change when AI is placed in the role of a collaborator?

01 Shared Moodboard:
Instead of starting with a defined concept, this project began as an open exploration with AI. I assembled a large moodboard of references from architecture, industrial design, and random images that inspired me at the time. Each image was then numbered so the AI could reference combinations of images and generate different concepts from them, shifting the typical “concept first” fashion workflow toward ones that prioritizes discovery through dialogue. Many of the references featured exaggerated geometries, unconventional silhouettes, and overpowering forms, which eventually became the foundation of the project.

02 Establishing a Concept:
As conversations with the AI continued, we focused on identifying forms and ideas that appeared repeatedly, while the AI also researched relevant fashion trends in parallel. One of these was the 2023 “Little Shirt, Big Pants” trend that was gaining popularity across menswear on social media, built around strong contrasts in silhouette. This reinforced our interest in exaggerated volume and opposing forms, and led to a broader observation: clothing doesn’t just shape the body, it also changes how the wearer occupies space, leading to the concept of “Non-adjacent spaces”, centralizing unfamiliar spatial relationships created when forms are pushed to the extremes.

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

03 Draping Explorations:
Draping was done by setting up a workspace with a mannequin, muslin, paper, and a sewing machine, while a laptop camera connected to a GPT-4 plugin allowed the AI to observe the fitting and comment on the changing forms. As shapes were draped, pinned, and repositioned on the mannequin, the AI acted as a second set of eyes, reacting to proportions and suggesting adjustments as the form evolved. Through this iterative process, a shared design language gradually emerged, with subtle influences from designers/brands like Iris van Herpen, Comme De Garcons, and Post Archive Faction. Over time, we noticed that the tension between contrasting forms amplified their visual language, exaggerating both the sharpness of edges and the softness of rounded volumes.

04 Finalizing the Design:
With the direction established, the design focused on contrasting organic volume with rigid structure. Bulbous puffer forms were paired with geometric/rigid elements inspired by industrial design, mechanical hardware, and architecture. Several details draw directly from these sources: the sleeve structure resembles bolt clamps, closures reference metal hook mechanisms, and the triangular extrusion draping across the torso is inspired by structural beams found in a Zaha Hadid building. These engineered elements are set against the asymmetrical, organic volume of the torso, allowing the two systems to exist in tension with one another.

05 Creating a color story:
The color palette was developed by revisiting references from the original moodboard. We were particularly drawn to the tones and atmosphere, and mood of the alien landscape image. The organic, asymmetrical form of the jacket also began to resemble the landscape itself, which led us to further translate its colors and visual language into the garment. A deep black-purple and a soft cream were selected to create a clear two-tone contrast. The cream elements also plays with translucency, almost resembling the the gradients and values found in the lights within the landscape image, while also allowing the darker structural elements to remain visually grounded.

06 Final Garment:
This project became less about finishing a single garment and more about exploring what it means to design with an artificial collaborator. Throughout the process, the AI acted as a dialogue partner, observing fittings, pointing out repeating patterns + ideas, and suggesting directions that could then be tested physically. The final jacket reflects several of these ideas, including the contrast between geometric and organic forms, exaggerated volume, and unfamiliar spatial relationships. Rather than presenting the garment as a final answer, it can be seen as a moment within an ongoing process. The value of the project lies not only in the jacket itself, but in showing how AI can participate in an iterative design workflow.

Previous Project, Confide Puffer Jacket

Next Project, Iteration 3 Technical Jacket