Hyper-Nature: Slow Manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence for a Conscious Fashion System

The current state of emergency, caused by climate change, highlights how nature is ‘rebelling’ against the pervasive actions of man. The anthropocentric scenario, outlined since the technological achievements of the late nineteenth century, seems to be coming to an end to make way for a new concept of hyper-nature. Crises—in their semantic meaning—are, for us, occasions for ‘discernment’: the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has confronted us with the ‘resilience’ of nature and its ability to regenerate itself autonomously; indeed, during the lockdown and the state of long human inactivity, nature itself has demonstrated its extraordinary self-regenerative process. From an ethical point of view, this emergency leads us to adopt a ‘minimalist’ lifestyle also with respect to energy consumption, which implies a substantial reduction in consumption as well as a more conscious approach by stakeholders within the fashion supply chain. There are still few companies that, to date, make choices that respect natural balances, many others instead adopt simple greenwashing actions. It is necessary, therefore, to rethink the Designer/Nature relationship on the basis of a new awareness on the one hand of the role of the designer as a professional capable of bringing form and function, profit and sustainability into dialogue, and on the other a new vision of nature no longer poised between subordination and rebellion but in total balance. Artificial intelligence seems to be coming to the aid of the definition of this fruitful dialogue: the use of CAD/CAM software makes it possible to meticulously manage the consumption of natural resources used during the production phases, as well as to reduce waste and refuse thanks to advanced precision and simulation systems for prototypes. In this sense, design must become a methodological process connected to the productions and cycles of nature itself; only in this way will we be able to speak of Hyper-nature, a condition of equilibrium in which the ideas-actions of man/designer are evaluated upstream of the processes, in anticipation of the minimum impact on ecosystems.