#a. human

The flesh-like necklaces you've been seeing are actually part of a new interactive exhibit.

The items look like they blend into the skin, creating an effect eerily similar to plastic surgery.

A. Human Exhibit #isitgrammable #ahuman #ahumanexhibit #nycpopups #popups #nyc #blogger #nycblogger

The A. Human Exhibit by Simon Huck started during Fashion Week, this exhibit focused on how body modifications are the future of fashion. With some futuristic pieces sported by many celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen, this exhibit was already famous. Like most exhibits nowadays, to see the show, you have to reserve tickets ahead of time. You can easily purchase tickets off of…

Did Kim Kardashian actually get a necklace implanted into her neck? Well that’s what it looks like in one of her recent Snapchat videos. This video has been all over my social media feeds with the same sort of grabbing title. Although I am just as guilty for using this as clickbait. It turns out that this is not an implant after all. Here’s what really happened.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnJ7KdWAAFv/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

A small company called A. Human designed this wearable necklace for her so that it would look like she had gotten it implanted. Kim K also wasn’t the only one to wear one of their pieces. A. Human has designed living and non-living pieces for other celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and Tan France.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnBh_YaAcv0/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnBgeNsA7Is/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

When I looked this company up, I expected to find a website store with outrageously priced accessories. Instead, I found a more indie styled website expressing the company’s beliefs in what the future of fashion and art could be. The only clothing option was a single T-shirt with a customizable heart printed on it. The shirt goes for $40 and is guaranteed to be completely unique to any other heart shirt they will make.

https://www.ahumanbody.com/

Although unique, the shirts aren’t that nice. You probably won’t see these t-shirts getting popular anytime soon. You can change the colors of the different parts of the heart and the pattern on the heart, but that’s about it. There’s also more than just the heart on the shirt when you get to the final product. It’s kind of hard to explain so I’ll show you what I mean. 

I customized my own heart and put it on both the black and the white version.

While the shirt’s lack in actual style, the innovation of this company is very promising. They have also opened a museum in New York City, showcasing their inventions thus far. Visit their website (https://www.showclix.com/event/a-human) to book your tickets. It will only be open for the month of September and they are claiming that 90% of the tickets are sold out, so you better get your tickets before it’s too late. This might be your last chance to view this sort of setting before wearable art at this extent becomes the next largest craze.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnv1cSnh5SJ/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Photo by Nino Liverani on Unsplash

Kim Kardashian made yet more waves on social media recently when she posted a picture of herself wearing a choker implant, which appeared to be under her skin. Other stars including Chrissy Teigan and Tan France subsequently posted similar selfies, Teigan sporting a décolletage of feathers and France an implanted neck ruff.  Freaky stuff.  But way cool.

Each of the celebrities name checked ‘A.Human’ in their posts, and a couple of days later, low and behold, a new exhibit entitled ‘A.Human’ by the Society of Spectacle opened in New York.  A.Human calls itself as ‘a fashion brand from the future’, but the exhibit goes deeper than this; an art installation, asking questions such as what is art? What is fashion? How far will people go to attain certain beauty trends?  If it were possible to accessorise your actual body, as opposed to the accessories what you carry and wear, would you? 

The show is open 5th – 30th September in Soho, New York, and accessed via a ticketing system (if you can’t make it in person, get a peek on their Instagram).  Inside, onlookers will find a range of exhibits, live models and Instagram opportunities galore.  ‘Live models’ can be seeing showing off a range of implants, including “bespoke hearts for you and your lover” to “biological heels that stem from your legs”. All very odd as the models are in actual glass cases, but quite an interesting comment on the image-obsessed, selfie-driven souls that we have become. 

The exhibit and the points that it raises has led me to thinking about image and the way social media hits have become such an important part of many people’s daily lives. Many individuals have in fact become brands themselves. Self-promoting, image-conscious, and mindful of expressing public opinion, many of us are currently living a pseudo-celebrity life, without the famous bit. 

Being able to walk into a high-street salon to actually modify your body is a little way off, however judging by the response to A.Human, perhaps not too far off.  A physical alteration such as this is not only a talking point, but a distinguishing feature, all intent on building that personal brand.

What does this mean for marketing?  Since becoming aware of this exhibition, it has occurred to me that now, more than ever, brands need to offer their fans something more than just membership into their own ‘brand club’.  ‘Belonging’ to a brand, being a loyal subject, may be becoming less and less relevant, and actually, brands may be more successful in finding ways that they can speak to an individual’s individuality.  Even better, brands that work to celebrate an individual’s own personal ‘brand’ may be most successful.  Perhaps brands need to be seen to be working that little bit harder; we as consumers have, after all, become quite demanding. 

Recent advertising campaigns including ‘This Girl Can’ by Sport England, and even McDonalds’ punk-influenced adverts for its Big Flavour Wraps celebrate diversity, but diversity as part of a brand tribe or sub-culture.  I’d suggest that in order to really stand out from the marketing noise, brands might look to find ways to celebrate and heighten true individuality. Those that base their activities around boosting that personal brand may find even greater success. 

Consequently, whether it be a legitimate product or not, A.Human has perfectly exemplified how it is possible to boost the selfie-lover’s personal brand through offering a ‘service’, which can only be individual to that wearer.  Kim Kardashian reportedly designed the implant choker herself, the ultimate form of self-expression through the body, however in appearing to work for that individual , has executed a lesson in Grade A publicity.  

If you’re interested in marketing in a more progressive, intuitive way, the only modification you need to make is adding us to your team.

«A. Human»: Το μέλλον της μόδας (vid)

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