The Possibilities of Fashion Technology

Join the Design Division and Fashion Program for the second event for the Fall 2025 Design Lecture Series at California College of the Arts' Nave Presentation Space on October 15th at 6 p.m. as Gabi Asfour of threeASFOUR invites you on a visionary journey through over two decades of boundary-breaking work at the intersection of couture and emerging technology. Discover how pioneering experiments in AI-generated design, 3D printing, AR/VR/XR environments, and digital fashion have consistently redefined the boundaries between garment, art, and immersive experience.

Far from treating technology as a novelty, threeASFOUR’s approach is deeply informed by cultural symbolism, sacred geometry, and a commitment to inclusivity—using innovation as a tool for emotional, spiritual, and global connection. Their collaborations span cultural icons from Björk and Yoko Ono to Lady Gaga, fusing tradition and futurism in unexpected, poetic ways.

Join Gabi as he shares case studies, key insights, and a bold vision for the future of fashion—and human connection—in the digital age.

SPEAKER BIO

Partnering with Adi Gil and Angela Donhauser, Gabi founded threeASFOUR in 2005. Recipients of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in 2015, this ‘United Nations of fashion’ combines cutting-edge technologies with couture craftsmanship to promote intercommunal unity. threeASFOUR draws inspiration from natural geometries, integrating timeless, transcendent themes and future-facing innovation

Permanently housed and exhibited in London’s V&A Museum and the MET Costume Institute in New York, their designs have also been the subject of exhibitions at art institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Walker Art Center, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Jewish Museum. 

threeASFOUR’s mutually inspiring collaborations with visionary artists, including Björk, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Mariah Carey, and brands like Sony, Epson, and Mimaki, generate an interdisciplinary approach to design and production. Sustainability is integral to threeASFOUR’s vision, sourcing textiles from dead-stocked kimonos, vintage denims, shuttlecocks, and re-used paintings.

Gabi is a senior faculty member at the New Textiles MFA at Parsons, co-founding the program with Li Edelkoort. He has been teaching “Senior Thesis” at Parsons’ School of Fashion and the Integrated Design Program since 2011, leading external projects including a partnership with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Host or Publisher California College of the Arts