When Claudia Maté logs on, it’s not to seek the latest trends. The Spanish artist and 3D visionary tends to avoid the algorithmic noise. Her work is unmistakably her own—surreal, playful, and laced with the uncanny—and her latest work made in Superstudio is no exception. In it, she renders two of her longtime muses—photographer Jacqueline and model Ceval—as literal giants, towering over a dreamlike AI-generated landscape that feels equal parts fashion editorial and near-future fable.
You might recognize Maté from her CGI avatars dressed in Balenciaga gear, but her interest in AI has grown deeper than pure aesthetics. In this interview, writer and editor Günseli Yalcinkaya chats with her about the new horizons of AI in fashion, and how she wanted this project to “just be cute for once.”
I first came across your work with the AI otters for Balenciaga on IG Reels. How did you first get into working with AI, and what do you like about it as a tool?
My first contact with AI was when I studied video games. I learned how to code enemy behaviors, though that’s a bit different. Later, when AI image and video tools appeared, I started playing around a lot with them, but the advanced stuff was tricky because it required lots of Python, and I got frustrated. Now everything has evolved so much that it feels like there are no limits. Part of me is sad these tools might replace the classic methods that took me so long to learn, but mostly I’m excited about all the new creative possibilities. It has completely changed my workflow.
“Now everything has evolved so much that it feels like there are no limits. But mostly I’m excited about all the new creative possibilities. It has completely changed my workflow.”
Can you tell me some of your inspirations for your work in Superstudio? What sort of vibe were you after?
I wanted to make a video featuring two of my muses for a long time. They’re already really tall, so I’ve always fantasized about turning them into actual giants. My main goal for the video was to make it feel realistic, not in terms of the concept itself, obviously, but more like capturing the vibe of a real photoshoot.
On a broader note, I’m curious to know what you think about the relationship between AI and fashion?
This is actually the first time I’ve done something that’s both personal and fashion-related. Normally, I only do fashion projects for economic reasons. But this time I was featuring Jacqueline, who’s a photographer, and Ceval, who’s a model, so I thought they’d appreciate a fashion vibe. I think fashion already uses a lot of AI for moodboarding and prototyping, but when it comes to the final image, AI usually feels too weird, and most brands don’t like taking that risk yet. At some point, I believe fashion and AI will really merge, but right now it’s still quite experimental, and there’s a bridge we haven’t fully crossed yet. That’s why, for this project, I wanted to avoid doing something too strange and just keep it cute for once.
“At some point, I believe fashion and AI will really merge, but right now it’s still quite experimental, and there’s a bridge we haven’t fully crossed yet.”
Have you observed any AI-led trends within the fashion industry?
I live a bit in a bubble when it comes to trends. Most of my online time is spent talking with ChatGPT, watching tutorials, or exploring specific tools. When I scroll through social platforms, most of what I see just feels like noise. There’s so much digital garbage, and all that information quickly vanishes. I’m not really interested in trends; I actually prefer not to know about them. When something becomes trendy, I lose interest and don’t want to work on it anymore. They just add limitations to my creative process.
“I’m not really interested in trends; I actually prefer not to know about them.
When something becomes trendy, I lose interest.”
What’s next for AI, especially in relation to fashion and adjacent worlds?
I think AI tools will gradually change how many fields operate in all sorts of ways. At the same time, big corporations will probably end up overusing them, so the future of AI scares me as much as it amazes me. Trying to predict exactly what might happen with fashion and AI feels a bit apocalyptic for me right now. The fashion industry always squeezes everything until it dies.
