How to Escape the Algorithm
Seeking inspiration outside of what's being fed to us... it's more important than ever.
“We're living in this era of algorithmic culture that has been homogenized into a set of tropes that can be found everywhere and are repeated infinitely.”
Kyle Chayka, author of Filterworld
We first saw Filterworld in full effect at Coachella in April.
Based on the looks we saw at the last one, Shein owns Coachella. Shein could have published a fashion catalog as thick as RH, just using photos from Coachella. It had never been more clear (and such a bummer) that everyone was buying off an algorithm (and for the sake of a single-use outfit). It kickstarted our curiosity around algorithms and how it impacts the future of… everything.
It’s not just looks, either. Hair, makeup, poses… same, same, and same.
We spent half our time developing merch ideas for our Momchella brand and the other half talking about how social media and algorithms were impacting people’s creative self-expression.
Algorithms don’t care about making meaning… they care about making predictions.
At a talk he gave at Business of Fashion’s tech summit last March, Chayka said the way we fight the algorithm as a society is… human curation. (Signal confetti explosions at BLL as this is something we’ve been talking about for longer than we care to admit.)
Humans who juxtapose different things for the sake of making meaning… these are the curators who wield incredible influence in culture and society.
If we humans cease to value making meaning, and succumb to buying into predictions… what does the world look like? The answer involves sad violin music.
Why is this important to think about?
Success in our business largely depends on our ability to understand culture, and then generate new and unique ideas. New ideas connect the dots between seemingly disparate things… things others wouldn’t think of. We look for the things flying below the radar, find idiosyncrasies in consumer behavior, highlight beauty and passion where no one else is looking… and build on it.
Truly genius ideas that captivate audiences… often come from human brains that are in a “state of play,” ie receptive to lots of different, unexpected inputs.
Examples: Sonny Angel dolls, Jellycat Fish and Chip shop at Selfridges, Loewe lemurs, Gohar World’s baguette candles, Glossier’s surprising balm dot com relaunch video, or anything Vacation does lately.
We have to regularly escape our own algorithms, seeking ideas, objects, stories that would never be fed to us by Apple, Google, Meta, Tik Tok, Amazon, or Netflix.
Our intrepid, fearless seeker of new ideas, Nadine, made a handy guide, which she’s been putting to good use while living in NYC this last month.
Nadine, tell us how you’ve escaped your algorithm recently…
OLD MOVIES, CHANNEL SURFING, AND THEATRICAL REISSUES
IFC center New York City is currently playing The Matrix, a 4K reissue of Amadeus and Modernism, INC: The Elliott Noyse design story. Emmet and I went to see In The Mood For Love last weekend. It was as visually arresting as the first time I saw it! So inspiring to see on the big screen again.
Letterboxd is a great place to build a watchlist and explore others’ watchlists. (Letterboxd is a global social network for grass-roots film discussion and discovery) HERE is Emmet’s list as an example.
Criterion Channel, Cinevault and Turner Classic Movies : Drew always has Turner Classic Movies playing at her house in case she catches her grandpa in a movie. We have been watching Cinevault on the Samsung TV at our apartment. It is amazing. They have different eras at different times. Some real gems.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES IRL AND ONLINE:
Public Libraries are still filled with inspo. I have always been obsessed with the NY Public Libraries Picture Collection ( I may have a ding on my credit report from the NY Public library for holding onto a picture file for too long and fleeing the state)….The room is so amazing. Shelves of folders with images…such an incredible resource. Description: “The New York Public Library Picture Collection is, first and foremost, a physical room in which anyone can enter and search for images in the many folders on its shelves. It is located on the ground floor of the New York Public Library Building in Midtown Manhattan. The room number is 119. It is a beautiful room to spend your days looking at a mysterious and wonderful collection of random images from around the world.”
Archive.org is a nonprofit that has endless historical and current books videos magazines and picture files all digitally uploaded and free to access.
Libby Check out digital books, magazines and audio books from your library on this app.
Online Museum Archive --> Cooper Hewitt or MET!!
LOCAL BOOKS SHOPS: Check out staff pics, look at the used cheap section, zines and small press/independent publications.NYC: Printed Matter, Dashwood
LA: Hennssey + Ingells, Arcana: Books on the Arts
SURROUNDED BY ART: MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, ARCHITECTURE TOURS, ANYTHING OFF THE BEATEN PATH
NYC: MoMA PS1. New Museum, Noguchi Museum, and the Cooper Hewitt.
MINNESOTA: WALKER ART CENTER (THE REBOOTED BOOK SHOP HAS A GREAT POINT OF VIEW)
WISCONSIN: HOUSE ON THE ROCK, DR. EVERMORE’S SCULPTURE GARDEN
CALIFORNIA: PALM SPRINGS MODERNISM WEEK
LOCAL SHOPS, ESTATE SALES, MATERIAL SHOPS AND ANYTHING OFF THE BEATEN PATH.Find estate sales anywhere in the country HERE (edited)
We would LOVE to hear from you- where have you found inspiration lately? We’re happily accepting your recommendations!