London greets you with energy. But also with mirrors.
Reading Sarah Majadov’s Fatamorgana just before arriving here was unsettling. Her point: much of the corporate world isn’t about creating real value. It’s a loop that feeds on itself. An illusion that sustains the insiders, while the “real economy” bears the cost.
In a way, cities like London make this visible. Competition is everywhere. Not only for jobs, homes, status – but also for appearances. To look as if you’re living better.
Fashion sits right in the middle. At its best, it’s identity, creativity, and beauty. But fast fashion shows the other side: endless cycles, shops overflowing, people chasing “new” simply to fuel the machine – no one is creating value for anyone.
Majadov calls this a kind of proximity economy. Innovation signaling without substance. Illusions stacked on top of old systems that never really change.
And the question for me is: what happens when AI enters this picture? Will it strip away illusions? Or automate them at scale?
If it reduces us to faster churn – in work, in fashion, in how we measure worth – then nothing changes. The illusion just becomes more efficient.
But if it pushes us to see what’s real, what creates lasting value, what expresses truth rather than noise – then maybe it clears the mirror.
That’s the choice ahead. Not just for AI. Not just for fashion. For all of us.
