Algorithms, the loss of personal style + Vivienne Westwood wedding dresses

What Vivienne Westwood wedding dresses say about our perception of style in a post-algorithm world

Ciao!

When: Last Wednesday, location: the (literal) office, outside temperature: ~5oC

The past few days and weeks have seemingly rolled into one. Since we last reconvened, I tried Dishoom for the first time (highly recommend). I went to the Tate Modern (again, recommend). And had a particularly raucous (and entirely unexpected) Sunday evening at my friend’s local pub on the west-side. I ate a sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and concluded that I think the Brit’s do desserts best.

Aforementioned sticky-date pudding + my friend’s dog and me at said-pub

The Tate Modern was engaging but intense. I saw an exhibit by the late Mike Kelley, a Los-Angeles-based artist whose work drew upon pop-culture and everyday life to express, provoke and expand.

The exhibit was, at times, wickedly funny. (One of his pieces was a film of Superman reading Sylvia Plath. A personal favourite of mine.) But it was also, at times, provocative and disturbing.

(L-R) A part of the Tate that was giving Berlin’s Tresor; early works of Mike Kelley; the work that my bf said aptly described my mood most days

There was a sign at the entrance saying some may find it distressing. By the end, I understood why it was there. As I wandered through the final room of clashing videos, performances and installations, with unsettling sounds reverberating off the walls, I was ready to leave Mike Kelley’s world.

Today’s letter is on a topic I’ve been wanting to write for a while now. But I’ve been hesitant. Namely, because it directly relates to weddings – and specifically, wedding dresses.

This is a topic I feel for many is sacred. I also believe this to be true. This is the most special day of many people’s lives. To write about it, analyse it or critic it in any way feels… odd.

And yet, there is a trend that is afoot. And I want to talk about. Because I think it speaks to something far larger than weddings and dresses. It speaks to how our perception of what’s ‘stylish and ‘cool and ‘on trend’ is changing.

Let’s dive right in.

Agenda for today’s letter:

1. Algorithms, the loss of personal style + Vivienne Westwood wedding dresses

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Algorithms, the loss of personal style + Vivienne Westwood wedding dresses

What the Vivienne Westwood wedding dress says about our perception of ‘style’ in a post-algorithm world

It seems the name on so many bride’s lips is… “Vivienne, Vivienne, Vivienne”

Let’s be clear from the outset. I’m never one to shade another person’s wedding dress.

And yet…