In Chimera Lab accessories and clothing, the past meets the future, and the digital world flows into physical reality. Using artificial intelligence, fashion designer Liāna Pabērza creates prints that look back to a time of technological optimism in the early days of the internet with humour and a dose of nostalgia. The surreal images are further materialised in unusual, playful items such as a dolphin bag or a winged pegasus blouse, which serve as a dreamy antidote to the somewhat bleak reality.
Liāna Pabērza is a Copenhagen-based fashion and print designer who experiments with ways to combine traditional and digital art and design media, pushing the boundaries of wearable design. The journey to Chimera Lab began in 2019, but the brand’s distinctive aesthetic was established in 2023, after the designer completed her MA at the Swedish School of Textiles, where Liāna focused on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in print design. For her thesis, Liāna tapped into the creative potential of AI to design Chimericwear, an innovative clothing collection that gives two-dimensional prints a sculptural spatiality.
Liāna is convinced that creativity involves the ability to adapt and use the tools available to generate new ideas. This is why she encourages people to see AI as a tool, not a threat: «When working with AI, I aim to show how it can spark ideas that seemed impossible before or unlock new dimensions of our imagination.» The desire to create a positive outlook on the evolution of technology has also shaped Chimera Lab’s aesthetic: drawing parallels between the development of AI today and the explosive growth of the Internet in the 2000s, the brand’s accessories and clothing are clearly influenced by the 2000s. At the same time, Chimera Lab reflects the spirit of our times, combining the visual saturation of the digital world, a certain irony, and the nostalgia felt by Generation Z for a time «when things were simpler». «Through these joyful prints, I invite you to step into a vibrant dreamscape where imagination and reality blur, where the grass is greener and the dolphins jump higher,» says Liāna.
Alongside contemporary expression, sustainability is also an important part of her design practice, which encompasses every stage of product development, striving to use resources wisely and minimise waste as much as possible. These considerations have formed the basis of both the Chimera Lab products and Liāna’s thesis collection, which focused on new waste-free fabric manipulation techniques. Offering an alternative to the traditional garment-making process, the designer created flexible wire understructures and used a variety of fabric sculpting techniques that avoid the waste of materials for the voluminous Chimericwear garments, which would normally require a large amount of fabric to create.
When designing prints, Liāna uses AI to create individual images, which she then arranges into digital compositions, combining a variety of elements — a waterfall cascading from a computer in a handbag design, a seal living in a spray bottle in another print. The images are transferred onto textiles using digital printing, a technology that allows products to be made on demand and in smaller quantities. Additionally, digital printing has a lower environmental impact than traditional printing techniques. Liāna also uses the digital environment to create the three-dimensional shape of her clothing and accessories, making use of 3D modelling software and thus avoiding waste of materials. All Chimera Labs products are manufactured with great care and attention in Copenhagen and Riga only upon customer request.
«The world is at a pivotal moment with technology. As its rapid growth raises profound questions about humanity, meaning, and ethics, alongside pressing sustainability challenges, Chimera Lab encourages critical thinking with a hopeful, optimistic outlook. By focusing on the positive potential of artificial intelligence, the brand envisions a future where creativity evolves, bridging traditional craftsmanship with innovative technologies. Chimera Lab isn’t just about making products — it’s about embracing the unfamiliar, bringing joy in difficult times, and fostering meaningful conversations about where we’re headed,» says Liāna.
More about Chimera Lab — on the brand’s website and Instagram account.
Viedokļi