Fashion, Technology, Creative VOCAL Fashion, Technology, Creative VOCAL

Accelerating the Future of Fashion

London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London is continuing its collaboration with Microsoft to inspire the next generation to rethink, redesign and revolutionize the future of the fashion industry. Leveraging Microsoft’s cutting-edge Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and IoT technologies and LCF’s industry-defining mentors, selected students were invited to participate in a semester-long intensive course that culminates in a final showcase of their prototypes this June.

The Future of Fashion is Currently Being Disrupted by Students at London College of Fashion, UAL, Powered by Microsoft

Unlocking Innovations Across Microsoft Mixed Reality, AI, and IoT While Empowering Today’s Talent to Transform the Industry of Tomorrow


London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London is continuing its collaboration with Microsoft to inspire the next generation to rethink, redesign and revolutionize the future of the fashion industry. Leveraging Microsoft’s cutting-edge Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and IoT technologies and LCF’s industry-defining mentors, selected students were invited to participate in a semester-long intensive course that culminates in a final showcase of their prototypes this June.

Microsoft x London College of Fashion

Following the success of the inaugural Future of Fashion Incubator program in 2018, LCF is running a new program to explore the role of emerging technology in fashion innovation. This year’s initiative, Accelerating the Future of Fashion, takes a more focused approach, challenging students to develop actionable businesses built on Microsoft’s most forward-thinking products. Students were invited to pitch their proposal to a panel of technology and fashion experts for potential inclusion in the mentorship and development program, from which six student teams were selected to participate and develop functional prototypes under the guidance of LCF and Microsoft mentorship. Off the back of the final presentations at the showcase this June, one team will be given the unique opportunity to continue refining their project with a Research and Development trip to the Microsoft campus in the United States.

“Last year we put Microsoft’s cutting-edge technologies into the hands of our students and the results created such extraordinary interest across the fashion industry, we felt compelled to deepen the collaboration”, says Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency, London College of Fashion, UAL. “This year, by building scalable ideas across Artificial Intelligence, Mixed Reality, and the IoT, Microsoft and London College of Fashion will showcase a road map towards truly digital fashion and retail businesses. We are incredibly excited to be working with Microsoft again on a project that is clearly demonstrating the impact that emerging technologies will have on the future of fashion education, the future of retail experience, and the future of fashion design.”

The prototypes within Accelerating the Future of Fashion pose ambitious new solutions for the fashion industry through the intelligent application of Microsoft technologies like Mixed Reality, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence. From responsive activewear that pairs Microsoft HoloLens with wearable sensor technology to aid athlete rehabilitation, to zero-waste patternmaking that applies Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services to eliminate waste in clothing production, the students at London College of Fashion, UAL, are once again redesigning traditional creation and application methods for a more functional fashion industry of tomorrow.

“For the second year in a row, we are blown away by the creativity and invention of the students at London College of Fashion' says Maruschka Loubser, Director of Brand Partnerships and Campaigns, Microsoft. With the fashion industry evolving at an incredible pace, the ambition of the relationship with London College of Fashion and the Fashion Innovation Agency is to empower students with the tools necessary to innovate and disrupt the fashion industry, and create lasting impact across design, retail or sustainability using technology.”

Students will unveil their final works during a special presentation on June 4 at Old Spitalfields Market, open to the public from 8:30am with an invitational media event commencing at 6:30pm.

For more information, please contact VOCAL or visit www.microsoft.com/inculture/london-college-fashion.

Read More
Technology, Entertainment, Creative, Music VOCAL Technology, Entertainment, Creative, Music VOCAL

NAO Takes Fans Into “Orbit” With Interactive Music Video Powered By Microsoft AI

Microsoft has announced another partnership through their ongoing In Culture program that supports today’s most innovative creatives, this time with English singer-songwriter and rising star NAO. Together they are producing a never-before-seen interactive and personal music video to support the “Orbit” track on her new album Saturn released late in 2018.

From the Sky to Your Screen, NAO’S New Video is a Truly Personalized Experience.

 Microsoft has announced another partnership through their ongoing In Culture program that supports today’s most innovative creatives, this time with English singer-songwriter and rising star NAO. Together they are producing a never-before-seen interactive and personal music video to support the “Orbit” track on her new album Saturn released late in 2018.

Go behind-the-scenes of the music video for NAO's "Orbit." R&B artist NAO used Microsoft machine learning and artificial intelligence to launch an interactive music video that brings fans' zodiac constellations to life. Experience it for yourself at http://orbit.thisnao.com

The “Orbit” music video is centered on a Saturn return, a unique occurrence for each of us that exists when the planet returns to the same place in the sky that it occupied at our moment of birth. The astrological inspiration of the song is known as a personally tumultuous time that allows NAO fans a more intimate connection with the artist and her work. The use of Microsoft’s technology and AI create visualizations based on both user inputs and cloud-point data collected gather from a dancing NAO, taking this fan-artist connection even further for a deeper experience as it relates their own personal journey.

To customize the “Orbit” music video the viewer enters their birthday, initiating a launch of the zodiac-filled night sky in which NAO and the dancers move through the galaxy. Colors of the sky and stars can be adjusted as the AI picks up the different constellations in the dancer’s bodies, as well as the fan’s own astrological sign. At completion, fans can share an image of NAO posing in the stance of their astrological sign, along with a plot of Saturn’s return in their own personal timeline.

The process for the music video began at Microsoft’s volumetric capture studio in San Francisco where cameras captured NAO and an accompanying dancer performing choreography to “Orbit” that transformed their bodies into point clouds of data. The Microsoft Custom Vision API was then trained to identify constellations within their movements, resulting in a truly customized experience that allows fans to connect emotionally with NAO’s own personal story within the song.

Based in East London, NAO’s sound is a mix of soul, funk, R&B and electronic music — what she calls as "wonky funk". Saturn is her second studio album, released in October 2018 and supported by the singles "Another Lifetime" and "Make It Out Alive". The upcoming “Orbit” music video release with Microsoft is scheduled for April 26, with a special in-depth experience as a media preview set for April 25 in London, UK.

For more information on NAO, visit www.ThisNAO.com. For information around the Microsoft In Culture program, visit Microsoft.com/InCulture.

All media inquiries can be directed to VOCALnyc.com.


###

Read More
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Technology, Music VOCAL Entertainment, Lifestyle, Technology, Music VOCAL

Microsoft Lets You Step Inside Muse's New Album

Today the British rock band Muse kicks off the global Simulation Theory album tour in Houston, Texas, giving fans a first look at their much-anticipated partnership with Microsoft. For the holders of “Enhanced Experience” tickets at each tour stop, a VIP pre-party includes a revolutionary approach to audience inclusion that brings fans into the album’s imagined world through interactive virtual reality.

Muse Continues to Push the Boundaries of Fan Experience on Their New Tour, Now with Microsoft VR Technologies to Create a Unique Fan-Artist Connection. 


HOUSTON, TX (February 22, 2019) — Today the British rock band Muse kicks off the global Simulation Theory album tour in Houston, Texas, giving fans a first look at their much-anticipated partnership with Microsoft. For the holders of “Enhanced Experience” tickets at each tour stop, a VIP pre-party includes a revolutionary approach to audience inclusion that brings fans into the album’s imagined world through interactive virtual reality.

As part of their In Culture program that creates visionary initiatives that blur the line between artist and audience, Microsoft has partnered with Muse to develop a totally unique music-video experience through three custom VR games each soundtracked and inspired by a song from the Simulation Theory album. This virtual-reality immersion is initially reserved for dedicated fans purchasing the Enhanced Experience pre-show party package that includes the opportunity to take photos with props and memorabilia from the newest music videos, exclusive album-themed keepsakes, and front-row seats to the show.

The artwork for Muse’s latest studio album is reminiscent of the classic 80’s sci-fi movie Tron, the plot of which loosely aligns with the album title and it’s referenced “simulation hypothesis” that accepts that we’re all actually living within a computer-generated artificial reality. This is also in keeping with the band’s ongoing themes of a futurist technology dominated existence, as well as their visual interpretation that portrays more of a yesteryear’s vision of tomorrow. Complimenting this in contrast, Microsoft has incorporated their technologies to offer an out-of-this-world fan experience for today.

In creating more music videos for Simulation Theory than any previous release, Muse has also created an alternative visual world for the album that establishes a unifying theme for its songs. “The videos are very continuous; that's where the concept can be seen more so than in the music”, informs vocalist/guitarist Matt Bellamy. “So we're going to take that visual world and try to translate it into the live show, with the other performers who will be on stage with us.” The VR games developed with Microsoft take this audience experience far beyond a stunning audio-visual performance, guiding fans deep into the album’s virtual world for a uniquely personal immersion and real connection.

For more information on Muse and their upcoming tour, visit Muse.mu. For information around the Microsoft In Culture program, visit Microsoft.com/InCulture.

For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

###

Read More
Technology, Creative, Lifestyle VOCAL Technology, Creative, Lifestyle VOCAL

Thank You 2018 #7

We have finally reached the final day of our Top Moments of 2018 countdown - which brings us to Bloom: Open Space. On February 21st at Trafo House in Amsterdam, musician and artist Brian Eno and collaborator Peter Chilvers presented their work Bloom: Open Space, a groundbreaking generative audio-visual installation based upon their highly acclaimed, award winning app, Bloom…

Day 7: Instagram 2018 - That’s A Wrap 🙌

Happy New Year!

We hope you are all recovering gracefully from last night’s festivities and feeling ready to walk into 2019 with your best foot forward.

We have finally reached the final day of our Top Moments of 2018 countdown - which brings us to Bloom: Open Space. On February 21st at Trafo House in Amsterdam, musician and artist Brian Eno and collaborator Peter Chilvers presented their work Bloom: Open Space, a groundbreaking generative audio-visual installation based upon their highly acclaimed, award winning app, Bloom. The mixed reality installation, enabled by Microsoft HoloLens, blurred the lines between the physical and virtual, exploring uncharted territory in the realm of generative art. Guests stepped into a central zone surrounded by screens, where they could physically experience Bloom - tapping the air around them to create elaborate patterns and unique melodies with the simplest gestures.

Microsoft HoloLens
Microsoft HoloLens
Microsoft HoloLens
Microsoft HoloLens
Microsoft HoloLens
Microsoft HoloLens
 
Read More
Technology, Entertainment VOCAL Technology, Entertainment VOCAL

Thank you 2018 #3

Countdown day 3! Did you get the chance to check out Unmoored in Times Square this summer? On July 11th, Mel Chin’s collaboration with Microsoft went live and featured a riveting depiction of Times Square underwater via Hololens mixed reality technology. This piece was aimed to raise awareness about the dangers of global warming, depicting a world where climate change has gone unchecked. We loved collaborating with Microsoft on this inspiring and stunning project.

Day 3: Instagram 2018 - That’s A Wrap 🙌

Did you get the chance to check out Unmoored in Times Square this summer?

On July 11th, Mel Chin’s collaboration with Microsoft went live and featured a riveting depiction of Times Square underwater via Hololens mixed reality technology.

This piece was aimed to raise awareness about the dangers of global warming, depicting a world where climate change has gone unchecked. We loved collaborating with Microsoft on this inspiring and stunning project.

Conceptual artist and activist Mel Chin collaborated with Microsoft to create a site-specific mixed reality experience in NYC's Times Square. Using HoloLens and a custom mobile phone AR app, Unmoored explores a possible future, where climate change has gone unchecked and Times Square is under 26 feet of water.


Microsoft's Unmoored with Mel Chin, Time's Square NYC
Microsoft's Unmoored with Mel Chin, Time's Square NYC
Microsoft's Unmoored with Mel Chin, Time's Square NYC
Microsoft's Unmoored with Mel Chin, Time's Square NYC
 
Read More
Technology, Creative, Fashion VOCAL Technology, Creative, Fashion VOCAL

Thank You 2018 #1

Check out these snaps from the London College of Fashion’s Future of Fashion Incubator Showcase in partnership with Microsoft. The showcase took place on June 5, 2017 and culminated an intensive, short-term program in which top LCF students explored cutting-edge Microsoft technology and its potential in the future of fashion. 

Day 1: Instagram 2018 - That’s A Wrap 🙌

We’re counting down the last days of the year with seven of our favourite moments from 2018.

Check out these snaps from the London College of Fashion’s Future of Fashion Incubator Showcase in partnership with Microsoft. The showcase took place on June 5, 2017 and culminated an intensive, short-term program in which top LCF students explored cutting-edge Microsoft technology and its potential in the future of fashion. Read more on Forbes.com.

It’s projects like this that make us love what we do! 

Microsoft: Fashion x Technology
Microsoft: Fashion x Technology
Microsoft: Fashion x Technology
Microsoft: Fashion x Technology
Microsoft: Fashion x Technology
 
Read More
VOCAL VOCAL VOCAL VOCAL

It's good to be vocal (ツ)

While the days might be slowly getting shorter, the list of exciting VOCAL happenings never does. As with every summer, our intentions to visit our homies scattered far and wide have gone largely unrealized, instead reprioritized by jetsetting for client engagement and the making of great projects.

While the days might be slowly getting shorter, the list of exciting VOCAL happenings never does. As with every summer, our intentions to visit our homies scattered far and wide have gone largely unrealized, instead reprioritized by jetsetting for client engagement and the making of great projects.

Luckily, if you’ve missed out there are still some good times to be had. And we hope to catch up over a few umbrella drinks before the sun decides to set on the summer.

 
unmoored.jpg

Unmoored (ending soon)

In partnership with Listen and Microsoft’s ongoing In Culture initiative, VOCAL recently supported the launch of Michael Chin’s Unmoored mixed-reality installation in Times Square. Stroll around the enormous animatronic sculpture and experience a virtual future where global warming raises the sea level to engulf the city. It’s truly terrific and terrifying, and there’s still a little time to check it out.

>> Download the app before you go: iPhone or Android.

 
SelfCare.jpg

#SelfCare: Changing the Game of Meditation

It’s been a long day, and you just want to be at home. Luckily your personal space is now in your pocket; step inside to find your calm. #SelfCare allows you to reset in just a few quiet minutes, recharging your outlook from within. Developed by the team at TRU LUV, #SelfCare is currently available for iPhone and coming to Android later this month.

>> Download now & turn up your chill.

 
woman.show.jpg

WOMAN Show: September 15–17

If you want to know what’s up in the world of female fashion check out WOMAN Show. Returning to NYC, this seasonal event is an intelligently curated and widely trusted platform driving relationships between brands, buyers and retailers. Spring Studios, 50 Varick St NYC.

>> Resister Now

 
See.Me.jpg

Art Takes SoHo

The global art-curation platform SeeMe returns to NYC for a pop-up exhibition during this year’s Tribeca Art Night. Passionate artists are invited to join the SeeMe community and submit works for consideration to be part of the exclusive one-day Art Takes Soho exhibition on September 26, at 45 Lispenard Street. If you know a brilliant artist, get them involved.

>> Submit your work before September 16.

 
13Bonaparte.jpg

13 Bonaparte NYC Store

Our dear friends at 13 Bonaparte are getting set to launch their second stateside store — the first in LA, this new one in NYC. Doors are set to open on September 6 in the lead-up to this year’s Fashion Week; be sure to check out their latest creations at 1 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002 (map).

 

Issue No.3

We’re currently sketching out the next issue of The VOCAL Times, focusing on the great creatives of Canada to celebrate the opening of our Toronto office. If you know of some amazing creative talent we should check out, shoot us a suggestion here.

As always, the classifieds section is for anywhere and everywhere, so if you’ve got a position you’d like filled email us here.

 

More details to follow on the next issue of The VOCAL Times and the print-edition launch event in Toronto. Peace out, with a piece of advice: it’s always good to be vocal.

 
Read More

Most Recent:

Blog
Feel the Pride

For the month of June, NYC Pride welcomes WorldPride as it marks the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and a half century of LGBTQI+ liberation. To celebrate this moment, The Ally Coalition have created an emotive community-driven sound and light experience featuring a soundscape by St Vincent, and generated by user messages. The experience is powered by Microsoft AI technology that explores powerful feelings of hope, anger, joy and determination.

Accelerating the Future of Fashion

London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London is continuing its collaboration with Microsoft to inspire the next generation to rethink, redesign and revolutionize the future of the fashion industry. Leveraging Microsoft’s cutting-edge Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and IoT technologies and LCF’s industry-defining mentors, selected students were invited to participate in a semester-long intensive course that culminates in a final showcase of their prototypes this June.

Hollywood Dream Machines: Petersen Automotive Museum x Microsoft

The Petersen Automotive Museum announced today that its upcoming “Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy” exhibit will spotlight a unique and immersive mixed-reality experience powered by Microsoft HoloLens. The display, named “Hollywood Dream Machines: Worlds Reimagined,” will be centered around the iconic Time Machine from “Back to the Future” and the famed Warthog from the “Halo” franchise. Opening May 4, 2019, the experience will offer guests an inside look at these legendary sci-fi machines.

AI Powers Music Mood at Sister City

Sister City, a new, meticulously designed hotel in NYC that embraces technology to offer guests a modern respite, debuts a first-of-its-kind lobby music score. Inherent to Sister City’s founding ethos was the question of its sonic landscape — Sister City asks what new shapes music can take as a site-specific, living extension of the hotel, and looked to Brian Eno’s Music For Airports and John Cage’s concept for “4’33”” as touch points for these conversations.

Chris Cole's Rail Jam Invitational

We’re excited to announce a new action sports music festival Gnarlytown set for June 22 in San Pedro, CA, co-founded by veteran pro skateboarder Chris Cole in partnership with John Reese of SGE and Nitro Circus. Set at the scenic LA Waterfront Berth 46 in San Pedro, CA, Gnarlytown will combine the perfect blend of action sports, punk rock, and craft beer tasting.

NAO Takes Fans Into “Orbit” With Interactive Music Video Powered By Microsoft AI

Microsoft has announced another partnership through their ongoing In Culture program that supports today’s most innovative creatives, this time with English singer-songwriter and rising star NAO. Together they are producing a never-before-seen interactive and personal music video to support the “Orbit” track on her new album Saturn released late in 2018.