Cottagecore: Road Trip Chapter 16 – Charlie C
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My day at EQ with Charlie transformed me. Sometimes I think back and wonder if it wasn't a dream.
EQ was still a startup, Charlie said, but its offices had to communicate core brand attributes: modernity, luxury, ease, technology, style. Seeing the office's tall ceilings, exposed brick, glass walls, and vintage oak floors, I wondered again if I could really afford the EQ Experience.
The company resurrected an abandoned waterfront cannery South of Penn's Landing. "They repurposed all the piping infrastructure to cool their server rooms," said Charlie. EQ's product was clothing, but its value was intellectual property. "Troy said that clients need to see cutting-edge fashion, but investors need to know that the technology is safe."
Troy met us in the lobby. He was an athletic, handsome light skinned Black man who looked every bit the tech expert cum fashion executive. With his chunky glasses and tangerine-colored quarter-zip sweater under a sleek black suit, Troy's combined practical and polished, efficient, and trendy. He even had an entourage.
Charlie and Troy hugged their hellos and made introductions. Behind Troy were two beautiful, stylish women. "Astrid and Taylor will be your Consultants today," said Troy. "They know my plan."
Charlie started to ask Troy something, but Troy's assistant cleared her throat pointedly. "Just let me get these guys settled," Troy said to her. The assistant just pursed her lips. To us, Troy said apologetically,
"I have some meetings, but I'll circle back after the investors leave."
Astrid led us to our Salon, a bright private room at the back of the building overlooking the river.
All sleek blond wood, white marble, and bronze finishings, our Salon exuded modern luxury. Prints covered the walls, too literal and pastel for my taste. Low seating designed to look comfortable was arranged facing a riser in front of the windows. Warm light flowed in, a hopeful sign that the storm had passed. The riser was flanked on each side by full-length mirrors, privacy screens, and rolling wardrobe racks brimming with clothes.
"Gentlemen," said Troy grandly, "welcome to Atelier Eclat Quantum." Astrid handed us flutes of champagne without asking if we wanted them. It was the good stuff, I saw, what my parents bought for Christmas Eve and birthdays.
We joined Troy when he raised his glass. "To the power of transformation! Charlie, in just a few months, you'll bring your many talents to bear on the fashion industry, maybe even here if we can lure you away from New York. You could lead our marketing division today, I have no doubt." Troy winked at Charlie. "To your bright future, cheers!"
"Charlie!" we drank.
I thought Troy was finished, but he raised his glass again. "To new beginnings and bold ambitions! Jon, we celebrate the start of your extraordinary endeavors at Alexander Hamilton University. Few are called. May you answer boldly, with confidence, resilience, and, of course, style . To your bright future, cheers!"
"Jon!" they drank. I raised my glass in thanks.
"Third time's the charm," Troy said to his fidgety assistant, again raising his glass. "At EQ, we know that the clothes do in fact make the man. They give him confidence, convey his vision, and inspire others to better themselves. Charlie and Jon, may each EQ garment you wear elevate you and those around you. Shake the world, men. Cheers to your style and every success!"
"Style and success!" said Troy, Taylor and Astrid. We all drained our glasses. Troy turned and strode towards the door, saying over his shoulder, "trust Taylor and Astrid, men. They know the plan."
I saw on Charlie's face that I wasn't the only one taken aback by Troy's swagger. "That was . . . wow," I said with a smile, hoping I didn't sound critical.
Taylor nodded. She was in her mid-20s, I guessed, with a skin tone similar to Charlie's. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail. She wore an oversized cream-colored sweater over a yellow shirt that looked to me like silk, with a pair of swishy black pants so wide I thought they were a skirt. I felt underdressed next to her, even though I'd worn my best clothes.
"I can say this because you're friends, and also because Troy's my fiancée." She spoke with a gentle hint of an accent. From somewhere in the Caribbean, maybe? "He's getting better at the toasts, but sometimes he still gets a little carried away."
"Same old Troy," Charlie said quietly with a smile.
"Coffee?" asked Astrid, "or maybe an espresso drink?" Her honey-blond hair fell in a single sheet past her shoulders. She was dressed in a wide-legged pale blue jumpsuit printed with abstract flowers the size of dinner plates. I felt just as underdressed next to her as I did with Taylor. "Take some refreshment and we'll talk about today."
While Astrid made us mochas, Charlie and I loaded plates from a buffet at the back of the room. Breads and pastries, berries and fruit, cheese and cold cuts, bagels warm from the bakery, served with lox and cream cheese.
"Second breakfast or Elevensies," I said to Charlie quietly. He seemed to think that EQ wasn't a place for Hobbit jokes. At least Taylor smiled.
"Every Atelier Eclat Quantum experience is a special day," said Astrid once we were settled. "This is a day just for you, and Troy asked us to make yours extra special."
Would extra special mean extra expensive, I wondered. "Trust Taylor and Astrid," Troy had said. More like, trust Charlie, I answered to myself. Have fun. Learn something. There's no commitment.
"To give you the full experience, we'll make our standard Atelier EQ presentation," said Taylor, "but we'll break the third wall occasionally to explain a business decision. Troy told me to say that you should just enjoy the experience and save your questions for this afternoon, but please don't be shy. If you have questions, ask away."
From there, Astrid and Taylor made a highly polished, carefully choreographed presentation heavy with buzzwords and market-speak, which I found compelling nonetheless:
EQ will revolutionize the fashion industry with its proprietary EQMode Technology, a neural network trained by professional stylists, augmented with AI and machine learning. EQ evolves, or "Iterates" designs in real time based on stylist and client suggestions. Robotic construction allows clients access to their orders within days. Process control programming eliminate supply chain issues.
"Mostly eliminates," corrected Taylor ruefully.
"Our in-house team develops designs a Base Collection each season," said Astrid. "Just a starting point. EQ Iterates the Base against earlier collections, including the most common changes requested during previous seasons. Next, EQ Iterates the revised Base through the market—street trends, material costs and availability, price data, just for example. Our designers make their final adjustments, and we launch."
"We saw that the new Winter collection online," said Charlie. "A lot of great pieces, lots of options, and it told a story, looked cohesive."
"It's our fourth full collection since launch," said Taylor, "but the first that shows EQ's Iteration from one season's collection to the same season a year later. The more data we have, the more innovative our future Iterations will be."
"At EQ, we sells our seasonal collections as ready-to-wear," said Astrid. "Unlike every other brand, however, we put our clients in control."
"EQ's great innovation is client-facing," said Taylor. "We provide clients with the ability to individualize their garments before construction."
"EQ offers different levels of Iteration depending on the client," Astrid said. "For ready-to-wear, customers can personalize fit and fabric."
"Clients submit measurements," explained Taylor. "We guarantee our clients a fit better than anything they could buy off a department store rack."
"At the high end," said Astrid, "which you're seeing today, Atelier EQ allows customers almost limitless customization. In fact, our surveys suggest that the Atelier may offer too many options for some clients. We're still developing Best Practices."
"The Iteration process seems like it'll be revolutionary," said Charlie.
"From your lips to the market's ears," smiled Taylor.
Astrid agreed. "Charlie," she said, "we have your outfits largely complete. You submitted the long-form survey and pre-verified your measurements, so Troy asked us to build your wardrobe."
"We'll remake anything that you don't love," added Astrid, "but Troy thought it would be a fun surprise for you to take your EQ Experience home today."
Charlie was vibrating in excitement.
"Jon," said Astrid, "in your submission, the measurements weren't verified."
I started to apologize, but Taylor waived me off. "That's fine," she said reassuringly, "normal for most of our first-time clients."
"We'll scan you as a first step," said Astrid. "We didn't want to construct more than toiles in order to get the details right the first time."
Toiles were the muslin mock-ups? That was about what I expected, and I said so.
"Jon also didn't fill out any of our surveys," said Taylor, almost as a question to Charlie.
"We didn't have enough time," explained Charlie. "I focused on learning about Jon's style and preferences, seeing what he likes, giving him some ideas. I know Troy thinks the surveys supply useful data, but I'm sure that's true for someone like Jon."
Someone like me? What's that supposed to mean?
"It isn't a problem," said Astrid. "We used the data you submitted to build Jon's Phase 1 Profile. We'll work with EQ to perfect it." She looked to me, for approval.
"Sounds fine to me," I said, wishing I could add more. I felt like a spectator not a participant.
"Perfect, darling, perfect" said Taylor in a way the was comforting, not condescending. "If you don't have any questions, why don't we get started. We'll cover the housekeeping matters quickly so we can get on to the magic."
I didn't have any questions, so I stripped down to my underwear for the scan. Astrid offered me a pair of "modesty shorts" but they weren't any less revealing than they gray boxer briefs Charlie insisted I wear. He'd called my underwear "scandalous." "We're stopping at the outlet mall on the drive home," he'd said.
While Charlie and Taylor started to look over his collection, Astrid directed me to a machine that would've looked at home in an airport security line. It spun around me, whirring and beeping. "Don't worry," said Astrid when she saw me watching a flashing light. "The bells and whistles are all for show. Focus groups thought the silent scanner was too clinical."
Taylor continued to talk quietly with Charlie, reviewing images on a large monitor and dictating notes into a headset that connected wirelessly to her tablet. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Charlie's broad smile said he was having a great time.
"Why don't you pull on a robe and have a coffee," Astrid told me when she had completed my scan.
"Relax and we'll see if we need to make any alterations to the specs you submitted."
I settled onto a couch to watch Charlie and Taylor. He'd started to try on clothes.
"I didn't order this one," said Charlie, stepping onto the dais from behind the dressing screen. He wore a pair of wide-legged pants made of some drapey charcoal fabric and a blue, almost turquoise, turtleneck sweater. "It's looks incredible, but I focused on foundation pieces."
"Troy said that you'd be interning at J-ROK this semester," said Taylor with a smile. "We added a few pieces to push you a little. They like interns who stand out, try, explore boundaries."
"Stunning," I said, just in case Charlie didn't know.
"I'm all for it," said Charlie, "thank you. But the sweater is cashmere. It blows a huge hole in my budget."
I was glad Charlie had finances in his mind.
"Don't worry about your budget right now," said Taylor. "Just tell us what you like, why you like it, what doesn't work and why, and what you'd like to see more of. As good as you look in these pieces, you haven't even seen what EQ will do with them."
There's more? Everything Charlie tried on looked perfect on him. I'd thought that the clothing I'd picked out would be basic, probably nicer than I could find at a mall, but even I could see that the cut and quality of Charlie's outfits was much higher than I was used to.
Astrid interrupted my thoughts. "Jon, why don't you try on some of the shirts we mocked-up. We're going to re-run the pants and shorts. The waist is right, but we'll need to make some other adjustments. These will be too tight in your butt and thighs, which will throw off the inseam."
"Those shorts will look amazing," said Charlie with a grin. "Squeeze in and give us a show!" Astrid and Taylor laughed along with us.
An hour later, Charlie and I were done with Phase 1, as Taylor referred to it. We'd each tried on the clothing EQ had made based on our profiles. I was impressed with how well everything fit, even if it was mostly made of muslin.
"Don't worry about the conversion from toiles to your fabrics of choice," said Taylor. "EQ programming makes all the conversions."
The EQ wardrobe would be so much nicer than anything I'd have picked out on my own. If I'd gone school shopping, I'd probably just grab whatever was on the shelves in my size, maybe buying clothes that looked good on mannequins if I felt adventurous. I wouldn't even have tried on the clothes, just bought my sizes and assumed they'd fit.
"I have a question about my measurements," I said. Maybe I should have asked before all the scanning, but I'd better ask it now. "I've spent the summer outdoors, cycling, hiking, climbing. Doing yoga and running on the beach. I'm in better condition than I've ever been, with more muscle and less bodyfat. And I'm much more tanned than I will be this winter in Albany."
"Humblebrag," coughed Charlie.
Smartass. I smiled, bumping him with my shoulder. "I'm just worried that the measurements won't be accurate in a few months, or the colors won't be right when my tan fades."
Taylor nodded thoughtfully. "As precise as our measurements are," she said, "EQ's construction programming includes allowances for the loss and gain or weight and muscle. Fit could become an issue if you gain or lose a lot of weight, but even our custom pieces allow for normal fluctuation."
"And don't worry about color," said Astrid. "EQ's complexion tools registered both the tan and your natural skin tone. The look-book we generate with your wardrobe will include a detailed color analysis."
I zoned out for a few second wondering I'd be able to make enough sense of the color analysis, whatever that was, to find clothes that looked good in the winter.
"Gentlemen," said Taylor, bringing me back to the Salon, "it's time to start the magic." She punched a few buttons on a remote. A screen descended from the ceiling at the same time blinds shaded the windows. "Charlie, we'll start with you."
"EQ," said Astrid, "run Charlie's first slideshow."
Against a lowkey techno beat, images splashed across the screen. Charlie wearing the clothes he'd tried on, but outdoors, or in an office setting, or in the classroom. The AI wasn't perfect, but it was close to photorealistic, without the cartoonish quality I'm used to seeing in image generation technology.
"These are the pieces you tried on today, mostly based on your submission profile," said Taylor.
"Foundational and professional but also fashion-forward. Troy is right, you have a great eye. We added pieces here and there to fill gaps or suggest new directions, but you'll see that the core of this collection comes from your submission."
Charlie's presentation ended with an AI "video" like a fashion show finale. Charlie's image "walked" a runway dressed in the EQ wardrobe, starting with casual looks and moving to classroom attire, then business casual, and finally to suits styled with increasing formality. He looked like a successful young professional, not a student or the relaxed guy I met at the beach.
"Even though I tried everything on," said Charlie after a moment's silence, "I didn't realize that it would all fit together so well."
Astrid agreed. "There's even more `wow-factor' when we play the slideshow for a customer who's only seen the toiles."
"Watch this," said Taylor smiling her agreement. "EQ, play Jon's first slideshow."
Different music, still with a heavy beat but more guitar and a clearer bass line. Not exactly my style of music and somewhat generic, it nevertheless fit the slideshow. Different backgrounds, too. More classrooms, more outdoors, no offices.
But seeing myself in the clothes, rather than just the muslin, I understood what Taylor meant. The slideshow put the clothes in context.
"Jon's submission leaned heavily towards foundational and wearable," said Astrid. "Primarily utilitarian." Without any overt inflection, I understood that Astrid wasn't impressed by foundational, wearable, or utilitarian.
More to Charlie than to me, Taylor said, "Jon was a useful challenge for EQ. We need to honor his choices and the style they suggest, but your note encouraged us to push him. That's where EQ's programming kicks in."
My runway "walk" was much more interesting collection than I'd submitted the night before. I appreciated the new pops of color and thought it was more cohesive than I'd expected. Still, I couldn't deny that my collection was safer than Charlie's. Boring, if I'm being honest.
"It really is like magic," I said. "I love seeing how I'd look in the real world, but also seeing everything together at once. It's not too late to edit, right? There's too much blue, isn't there? And it's a little . . . safe."
Astrid smiled. "There's plenty of time to edit. You haven't even seen the magic. Internally, we call this slideshow `setting the table' because it's just the starting point for Atelier clients."
Taylor took over. "Phase 2 will show you EQ's first significant Iteration of Phase 1. EQ's neural network analyzes the clothes you have already selected, as well as your body composition, complexion, and a number of other factors, to propose what is often an entirely new set of looks."
Astrid stepped out of presentation mode for a moment. "Depending on the client, we collect a wide variety of survey data, which can inform this Iteration. Because of timing," she added with an air of disapproval, "we did not include Jon's questionnaire or interview data in his Phase 2 Iteration."
"But that doesn't matter here," said Taylor briskly. "Charlie knows so much about fashion, and Jon's preferences, that his notes served the same purpose. In fact," she said to Charlie, "Troy thinks Jon might make an interesting case study specifically because he didn't complete the surveys. We'll talk about that later. If you're ready, let's move forward with the next Phase."
Charlie and I nodded, eager to see Phase 2.
"EQ," said Astrid, "show Jon's second slide show, randomize the order of presentation." The screen faded to black. "Jon, tell us what you think about each image, whatever comes to your mind. EQ's focus now is individualized on your responses. Please focus on garments, or whole outfits. We'll run a wholistic Iteration at the end."
The first image showed me in a pair of dark khaki shorts and a short sleeved button-down shirt with a vertical green pinstripe. "I like both pieces," I said, "but I don't think I'd wear them together. I'd probably wear the shirt with jeans."
The image fuzzed and refocused, this time showing me in the same shirt but wearing a pair of indigo jeans I'd picked out when Charlie and I went through the EQ catalogue.
"Wow," said Charlie quietly.
Right? "Could I see a close-up view of the shirt and my face?"
The image changed again. The white of the shirt highlighted my tan and the green stripe picked up the color of my eyes.
"Yes or no," asked Astrid.
"Maybe?" I said. "The shorts and jeans, yes. They fit incredibly and I could wear the jeans with anything." I wasn't sure what I didn't like about the original pairing. "I think I don't like the green in the shirt with the color of the shorts."
The image fuzzed again and refocused, this time showing me in the shorts but now wearing a long-sleeved button-down shirt made of a crisp-looking cloth, a shade of blue darker standard. Even with shorts and rolled-up shirtsleeves, the look was chic, polished.
"New impressions?" asked Astrid.
"I like the second shirt. It looks crisp, I guess mainly because of the cloth, and I also like that there aren't buttons at the collar," I said. "The shirt and shorts look great together. I'd wear the button-down all the time. In fact, could I see it in other colors?"
"EQ," said Astrid, "display button down shirt in colors complimentary to Jon's collection."
A rainbow of shirts appeared, displayed from light to dark. There were dozens.
"Oh man," I said shaking my head. "Too many options."
"How about this," said Taylor with a sympathetic smile, "we'll incorporate this style button down shirt into your collection. It leans dressier than your submission, which may make future Iterations dressier, but we can play around with parameters if it goes too far for your tastes."
I agreed and Taylor gave EQ a series of instructions that weren't quite plain language.
"Iterate collection based on new parameters and restart slideshow," said Astrid.
The screen refocused, showing me in a pair of dark gray pants made of chino fabric. The leg tapered but wasn't "skinny." I was wearing an oversized cream-colored sweater with a chunky knit pattern. A vee-necked maroon tee shirt peaked out from under the sweater.
"The sweater's not right," said Charlie. "EQ picked it because it's comfortable and outdoorsy, but Jon doesn't like oversized garments. And with his body, he shouldn't wear them," he added with a squeeze of my knee. "Can you replace the fisherman's sweater with a quarter-zip pullover?"
The new image was way more flattering. The fitted sweater hugged my shoulders and chest, tapering to my waist. My tan looked great against the cream and the color of the shirt underneath highlighted my rosy cheeks.
"Can I play around with EQ?" Charlie asked Taylor.
"Speak normally to phrase your requests," she said, "just like you're talking with one of us. We'll clarify if needed, but we've programmed it to Iterate based on plain language, including common fashion and styling terms."
Charlie cracked his knuckles like it was time to get down to work. "Pop the collar, raise the zipper-pull three inches, and replace the vee-neck tee-shirt with a rounded-neck tee in the same color."
The new image looked like an entirely new outfit. Still comfortable, I thought, but less casual, more athletic. The sweater tapered to emphasize my waist, and its raised collar framed my face. "The focus is on me," I thought, "not the sweater."
Charlie continued to "Iterate" the outfit. "Change the sweater's color to ice blue," he said. "Change to slate blue. Change to forest green. Change to next lighter shade of green. Change to camel."
Eventually, I locked the sweater in cream, slate blue, and charcoal, along with a number of different colored undershirts.
"Add the gold tee," said Taylor to EQ. "You'll thank me for the color this winter."
For the better part of an hour, I reviewed and commented on EQ's suggestions as revised by Charlie and the Consultants. There were misses at first. I didn't hate any of the suggestions, but I saw clothes I didn't think I needed or wouldn't prioritize over things I knew I'd buy. By the end, though, I was saying "yes" to every suggestion.
"Let me propose that we run Charlie's Phase 2 now," said Taylor. "We use a `Rule of 7' as our guideline in the Atelier. If you approve seven consecutive outfits with no revisions, EQ has learned what it can for this Phase. We'll continue if you'd like, this is your day, but we're close to the point of diminishing returns. You'll be able to make further revisions after the next Phase."
"Before we switch, can I try one more thing?" said Charlie. "Something came up last night when Jon and I were looking at runway photos."
"It's your day," said Taylor expansively. "Have fun."
"EQ, Iterate Jon's wardrobe based on Kiara Seong's runway show at last February's Milan Fashion Week," he said. To me he added, "you loved almost every piece I showed you from her collection."
"Iteration unavailable," said IQ neutrally, speaking in a woman's voice that didn't sound computer-generated.
Charlie started to ask a question, but Taylor held up her hand. "Disregard Iteration request," she said, before turning to Charlie. "IQ won't perform certain Iterations," she said apologetically.
"Was Charlie's request too abstract?" I wondered. "Like, too many options for EQ to consider?"
"EQ could run the Iteration," said Astrid, "but there are some Iterations we've disabled."
Seeing Charlie's furrowed eyebrows, Taylor explained: "Trends often start with individual designers," she said. "Using AI raises legal and ethical questions. Legally, it would be hard to defend against a designer's claim of copyright infringement if we named the designer in one of our Iteration. Ethically, we want our designs to stand on their own."
"Couldn't you get around it pretty easily though?" said Charlie. "Could EQ Iterate Jon's collection based on inspiration from Spring's first daffodil and a shaft of light from the rising sun?"
"Iteration unavailable," said EQ.
"You could Iterate a collection with either prompt," said Astrid, "but not both. Seong's inspirations for the collection are well-know. EQ's neural network identifies that sort of overlap."
"More importantly," said Taylor, trying to move us along, I thought, "in our experience, with our Base Collections and the Iteration process, clients don't need to reference to other designers. You'll see how personalized the Iterations become in later Phases."
"There are even more Phases?" I said. I wondered what more EQ could do.
"Many clients are done at the end of Phase 2," agreed Astrid.
"We've been experimenting with additional phases," said Taylor. "Troy thought you'd like the whole experience. There's much more that EQ can add."
"I'll have to thank Troy for all the thought he put into today," said Charlie slowly, "but I feel like I must be well beyond my budget."
"Me too," I said quietly.
Taylor shook her head, smiling. "Don't worry," she said. "Troy would never upcharge you. Some of your advice was critical for the company's angel funding. Your supply chain tutorial sent Troy down some research rabbit-holes that paid off bigtime when he pitched to potential funders."
"Just enjoy yourself and trust the process," said Astrid. "Keep playing with EQ. Have fun!"
"You too, Jon," said Taylor, "have fun." I wondered if she sensed my concern. I hadn't done anything to help with supply chains or angel funding, whatever that was.
Charlie needed less time than me to reach his EQ magic number. He knew what he wanted and didn't spent as much time Iterating his wardrobe as he did with mine. Still, I envied the flair in his collection.
"Now, Phase 3," said Astrid after we took a short break. "We'll start with Charlie unless you'd prefer otherwise."
"Go ahead," I said, bemused. What more could they show us? And not that it mattered. Whatever they said, there was no way I could afford more than a few pieces in my collection. The jeans, maybe?
They fit beautifully and it was already getting cold in Albany. Maybe a few shirts too? I hoped they'd send me a copy of the slideshow so I could add pieces over time. Ugh.
Charlie's techno theme started again, this time slower and more bass heavy.
"EQ adapts the music to the wardrobe," whispered Astrid.
Charlie's Phase 3 images showed his outfit styled and complete. Charlie making a presentation in a suit and tie; Charlie dressed for a fall afternoon outside; Charlie on the subway; Charlie working on his laptop at a library table.
"Are there more new pieces or am I seeing them differently because of the presentation?" I asked.
"Good eye," said Taylor. "We can edit the presentation to only include the Phase 2 outfits, but one of the Phase 3 benefits is that it shows how you'd look in everyday life. When a customer hasn't selected a piece of clothing, EQ inserts a suggestion. It also fills in garments to show how to complete looks."
"EQ," said Astrid, "highlight items added in Phase 3."
The next image in Charlie's slide show showed him in dark jeans with a thigh-length tan overcoat over a vee-necked maroon sweater and a white collared shirt. A very blue scarf added vibrancy. Pink dots appeared on the overcoat, scarf, and white dress shirt.
"EQ," said Astrid again, "delete highlighting on collaboration pieces."
The dot disappeared from the overcoat.
"Charlie picked out the same overcoat in a different fabric," explained Taylor. "EQ can be quite literal. A `collaboration piece' is an item the customer has selected but is shown in a different fabric or color."
"But aren't collaboration pieces are sold a new garments?" I said. "Just because someone is considering a garment in one color doesn't mean they'd want to pay for it in another."
"Trust the process," said Taylor soothingly. "You're right, by the way, but just trust the process."
Astrid moved us long. "Every piece you see in the Phase 3 slideshow is available," she said. "That doesn't include the accessories, of course, things like shoes or bags, but we provide a list of the items you would need to have to complete each look as shown."
If EQ kept adding clothes, I thought, Charlie and I would both end up with the entire catalogue before the day was out. In multiple colors and fabrics.
"And everything is really ready in just a couple of days?" I said. It seemed impossible.
"Almost everything," said Astrid. "Sometimes a specific fabric isn't available. A few garments take extra time to fabricate, knitwear and outwear in particular. A setting allows us to show only available fabrics, or garments that would be available within a specific period, but we're not using those parameters today."
"EQ," said Taylor, "display items from Charlie's Phase 3 that are not available within ten days and explain."
Images of some of Charlie's pieces appeared on the screen. Two overcoats and a lighter parka style jacket glowed with a pink outline. "The displayed items will be completed in approximately 21 days."
"Three weeks for custom outwear," said Charlie quietly, amazed.
Next, the image of three suits glowed. "The standard Marino Super 100 fabric for these items is unavailable, resupply date unknown. Display items are shown in Marino Super 130 at a fifty percent materials surcharge."
Charlie started to say something, I think to decline the surcharge, but Taylor shook her head. "EQ," she said, "waive materials surcharges and accept all materials changes. Apply same parameters to Jon's profile."
Astrid stepped in when it looked like Charlie wanted to press the issue. "EQ, pause availability review. What do you think?" she asked Charlie. "Amazing, right?"
"It's magnificent," said Charlie. "I'd wear every outfit, and individual pieces go together in all sorts of different combinations. I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I'll dress this year, but the slideshow goes even further. Colors I hadn't thought about, styles I wondered if I could pull off, ideas that hadn't occurred to me. Wow!"
Taylor and Astrid beamed.
"Any changes?" said Astrid.
Charlie shook his head. "Colors or fabrics here or there, maybe, but I trust EQ at this point." Something in Charlie's tone made me pretty sure he'd given up on buying his EQ Collection, even with a discount.
About one third of the Phase 3 collection was highlighted as additional pieces, including sweaters, outerwear, and at least two suits.
"EQ," said Taylor, "lock Charlie's Phase 3 and play runway show."
Charlie and I were both floored seeing him "walk" the outfits. "This could be Fashion Week," said Charley quietly.
"Wait until you see the next iteration," said Taylor. "It's sometimes the most magical of all. But let's take a look at Jon's Phase 3 first."
My slide show was just as impressive as Charlie's. The outfits were still casual , but EQ added dressier outfits and more stylish clothes. I'd wear everything EQ suggested, particularly the new colors. Taylor called them "deep jewel tones" and "bold warm colors." It wouldn't have occurred to me to pick them, but they added fun and sophistication.
"Well," asked Troy from the back of the room, "what do you think of Atelier EQ?"
"I have so many questions," said Charlie before I could answer. "I mean, first things first. The technology is amazing, the Iteration is perfect, the clothes are well made. I'd wear it all and I'll bet Jon would too."
"There's a `but' coming, isn't there?" said Troy with a knowing smile.
"How do you make any money?" asked Charlie. "Even with materials upcharges and added fees and new seasons . . .." Charlie trailed off, collecting his thoughts.
Troy laughed a little grimly. "Yes, well . . .. That's the challenge, isn't it? I spent the morning with our funders discussing that question. In detail." Troy cast a freighted look in Taylor's direction.
Charlie started to fire off more questions. Cash on hand? Burn rate? Income? Profit window? Scalability? Competitors? Customer re-engagement? I didn't follow most of the details.
"Great questions," said Troy, holding up his hands. "Just the right questions to ask when you evaluate a business plan. But don't you want to see the wizardry on top of our magic? It's one of our best ways to guarantee return customers."
I'd been so caught up in my slide show that I'd forgotten that Taylor had said there were more Phases.
"I can't believe there's more," I said.
"This one can be tricky, actually," said Troy. "Some people have their wardrobes dialed in. There isn't much new for EQ to Iterate. That's Charlie, I think. For others, and I suspect this may be you, Jon, there's more EQ can do."
"Let's see it," said Charlie, grinning at me and squeezing my knee.
"EQ," said Troy, "lock Jon's Phase 3 and display four Iconic Looks."
Images appeared on the screen in numbered quadrants. One showed me relaxing on a picnic blanket in dark khaki shorts and a sleek rust colored polo. Next, I wore a tailored rose-colored button-down shirt and tailored-fit jeans, maybe on my way to class. The next showed me standing under a yellowing tree wearing dark jeans and a light jacket over a ruby-red vee-necked sweater. Finally, I was making a presentation in a charcoal suit with a crisp blue button-down shirt and a plum-colored tie.
"EQ displays looks that articulate core attributes of Jon's collection. EQ maximized the looks for comfort, with modern takes on traditional cuts and fabrics." He consulted a screen. "There's more color and style variation here than Jon's early Phases, but these Looks to show his collection's essence."
Charlie nodded his approval, but I wondered. "I don't really need a suit," I said. "I probably wouldn't wear it more than a few times this year."
"Okay," said Troy. "Well, first, every man needs at least one suit." There was a joking finality to his statement. "Second, that's a good observation, especially if we're talking about how the EQ algorithms work. EQ selected the suit for the this Phase because it shows a distinct aspect of your Collection. Using it here won't Iterate your collection with business clothing."
"I'll show you," said Taylor. "It's just a way to highlight the impact of collection-wide Iterations. EQ, Iterate Collection for a freshman at Alexander Hamilton University."
The images fuzzed and refocused. In the picnic photo, my shorts had been replaced with flat-front chinos and the shirt changed to pale blue. I was now going to class in a white button-down shirt under a gray cardigan. Next, my jacket got heavier, the sweater was navy, and I wore a scarf in A. Ham. indigo and garnet. The suit was unchanged, but the shirt was now a standard white and the tie was stripped in A. Ham.'s colors.
I didn't love the Iteration and said as much. "It all seems more sedate, safer," I said. Boring, I thought.
"At this phase, not every Iteration reflects the customer," said Troy. "In fact, it may mean that your collection is closer to final than I suspected."
Taylor explained, "EQ scanned its database and beyond for images of A. Ham. students and used them to Iterate. This is a reliable representation of how you can expect A. Ham. students to dress."
"It's probably how I would have dressed if I hadn't seen the EQ suggestions," I said, "or at least, a less casual version. It's not wrong. I just like the Phase 3 suggestions more."
Troy nodded. "One of the things our clients value is how many innovative ideas EQ gives them. Why don't you and Taylor play around a little while I answer some of Charlie's business questions. We can Iterate his collection later." Charlie kept one eye on the screen to watch what I was doing, but he was quickly deep in conversation with Troy.
"EQ," said Taylor, "Iterate. Revert 50% to Phase 3 and apply Alexander Hamilton University less literally."
I liked the next Iteration more than the first, but I still liked original Phase 3 the most. This time, the rust shirt was back but with chinos. That was fine, I wouldn't spend many days in shorts in Albany. Winter was coming. EQ replaced the A. Ham. scarf and tie with the same garments in garnet, which provided strong color but wasn't so literal. The white shirts were replaced with the original colors.
Charlie had been listening. "How abstract can you get with EQ?" he asked. "Did it really iterate based on the `less literal' command?"
"Let's keep talking over lunch," said Troy.
I hadn't realized it, but we'd been in the Salon for almost five hours.
Astrid excused herself, slipping out of the conference room when Troy's assistant carried in a large platter of sushi rolls and sashimi. The receptionist followed with drinks and dessert. I wasn't so sure about the sashimi, which I'd never had the courage to try, but I was damned sure not to let anyone know that raw fish made me squeamish.
"Our normal Atelier experience includes a lunch out," said Troy, "a celebration, but I figured we could talk more freely here, and keep playing with EQ."
I usually love trying new restaurants, but I was glad for Troy's choice. The day was already overwhelming.
Troy demonstrated EQ's Iteration process, using my collection to make increasingly abstract changes.
"EQ, Iterate Jon's Phase 3 to reflect New York street style." The new images were even more casual, heavy on denim, with darker colors and puffer outerwear. "Paris young professional." Sleek, conservative lines with safer colors. "Stanford University student." Shorts, tee shirts, jeans, and hoodies, all impeccably cut. The suit was shown with no tie, a crisp ecru shirt, and a pocket square that matched my eyes.
"I still like the original Phase 3 the most," I said. Taylor and Troy nodded to one another.
"Charlie's email said fashion isn't all that important to you?" Taylor asked. Troy and Charlie turned back to their business discussion.
"I didn't think about it growing up, it wasn't really an option," I said apologetically. "Most of what Charlie showed me the other night was new to me. I just told him what I liked, and we talked some about why. He made a lot of suggestions for what would look good on me. That was my submission. I don't know enough to do this without his help."
"Clients like you are the most fun to Iterate," said Taylor. "Your initial collection was pretty basic. Your early Iterations mainly retained your focus on classic comfort. Later, as you approved outfits with more interesting viewpoints, EQ expanded upon your ideas, including adding a lot of color. I think you're getting close to your unique style."
"Is that how it works with most new client?"
"Some new customers don't know what they want. With them, we do a lot of handholding, similar to what Charlie did with you. You're interesting because even though you didn't know what you wanted at the start, over the course of the day you've developed a distinct style. That's what I meant when I said it was fun to work with clients in your position. "
I wondered if EQ really could help clients identify something new in people without much fashion sense. Small talk to fill time while Charlie caught up with Troy.
I think Taylor sensed my skepticism. "Let's try a test," she said. "EQ, Iterate Jon's locked Phase 3 Profile to propose three new outfits for the Alexander Hamilton University First Year Dance. Override parameter suggestions for Alexander Hamilton University. Jon's profile controls. State parameters."
Three images appeared. "According to published reports, the Alexander Hamilton University First Year Dance will include multiple DJs playing a wide variety of music. Students often dress carefully for the dance. Some years, best dressed lists are published. Dance themes are often provocative. This year's theme is `Hot Before The Cold.' Outfits are frequently more revealing than students typically wear."
EQ knew more about A. Ham. than I did.
The first image showed me dancing in white pants tighter than I'd normally consider, with a fitted green tank-top the color of my eyes under a gauzy white button-down shirt left open and untucked. Second, I wore trim indigo jeans, and a fitted burgundy tee shirt made of fabric even I could tell was expensive. The outfit was simple and revealing. The third image showed me in a navy suit with a pale coral shirt unbuttoned to the middle of my chest and no tee shirt.
Taylor asked my opinion.
I had to give EQ credit. "I love all colors. The looks are all daring, at least for me, sexier than I'd pick on my own. I wouldn't think to wear any of these outfits without EQ's suggestion, but I'd would wear them all. And I'd almost certainly look better in EQ's suggestions that anything I picked out on my own."
Taylor made a few notes in my Profile.
After thinking for a second, I said, "maybe not the suit. At least not to a dance, unless most other guys were going that dressy. It fits beautifully looks great with the shirt, though."
"EQ," said Taylor, "estimate the percentage of men who wear suits to the First Year dance. If estimate is below 40%, replace image three with a flirty outfit based on the same parameters."
"Fewer than 20% of male students have worn suits to the First Year Dance since 2014," said EQ. In the new image, I was still wearing coral, this time a scoop-necked tee shirt made of a stretchy, flattering fabric. It hugged my shoulders and chest without looking "tight." The pants were snug low rise jeans made of light blue denim. The bottom of the shirt didn't quite meet the pants' waist.
Charlie broke from his conversation with Troy. "That would be sexy as all hell at a dance. Every time you raise your arms, the shirt'll ride up and give a peek of your Adonis belt and treasure trail. The other two are sexy too, but number three wins."
"Please show Image 3 with Indigo jeans," I suggested. There was something too casual about the light denim.
"Look at you," Charlie said with a smile.
What the heck, I thought. I added all three outfits to my Portfolio, including the lighter jeans. Charlie was right, they were sexy as all hell.
While Charlie and Troy talked, Taylor kept making suggestions based on specific scenarios. Show Jon at a house party. Show Jon at a regatta. Where do A. Ham. students go for Spring Break? Show Spring Break Jon in Palm Beach, the Bahamas, Costa Rica. I added an outfit here or there, not because I expected to go to any regattas or tropical beaches, but because I liked how they looked.
Taylor locked in the changes and asked if I wanted to make any inquiries. She'd confirmed that I'd get a copy of my Portfolio, so I decided to play around. If nothing else, I'd have a look-book of ideas.
"Use Profile 3 to suggest three outfits to wear to move into dorms based on the Albany, New York weather forecast for next Thursday. Suggest three outfits to wear to meet with an academic advisor. Dressier by 35%. Suggest three outfits for the first day of classes." I even experimented with my Style Parameters, asking EQ to add 10% more color, then 25% more color, then 10% flirtier, then 25% flirtier.
I saved images of anything I liked or that gave me ideas.
By the end, I admit, I was just playing around. The technology really was wizardry, but it surely came with a price I couldn't afford.
I'd only been listening with one ear when Troy and Charlie talked about EQ's business, but I got the gist.
Early on, EQ had accepted funding from private investors interested in the technology. EQ's second funding round came from a fund operated by fashion-focused VC's who offered to help with brand-building. Now, the funders were getting restless. "We don't have the scale to sell to the masses, even if we wanted to," said Troy, wrinkling his nose, "and we're constrained by our price-points."
I thought about the time and money it must have cost just for our showings and wondered how EQ could ever turn a profit, even if technology did most of the work. I'd only leave with a few pieces of clothing. They might make money if Charlie bought his entire wardrobe, but he didn't have that budget.
"What's next?" Charlie asked Troy. "There has to be a profitable business in here somewhere."
Troy nodded. "The Atelier concept has really taken off. We typically require a minimum purchase guarantee, which pays for the day and then some. And more than half of our Atelier clients buy more than the minimum, frequently by multiples. So that's a start."
"And your ready-to-wear must make some money," said Charlie. "That's all automated. People just enter their measurements and get the clothes they ordered in the mail."
"We'll do okay," said Troy. "Right now, we aren't well enough know for people to trust either the technology or our quality, but we're building loyalty. We barely break even with our standard fabrics, the profit comes from upgrades. Unfortunately, upgraded, our pieces are more expensive than established brands."
"How long do you have?" asked Charlie.
"We have time," said Troy. "Not years, but enough. We made some early mistakes that we're working to overcome, the funders know that. We hope to be ready for the holidays this year."
"I thought that article in Women's Wear Daily would have made you," said Charlie.
Troy sighed. "It came too soon, we should have put them off for six months. We weren't scaled for the demand. Quality suffered, then we made bad decisions when we couldn't source high quality replacement fabrics. The bloggers ran with it and trades followed. We're still paying for those mistakes."
I didn't have anything to add so I just listened to Charlie's questions and Troy's answers. Troy still owned a majority of the rights in the EQ technology so he'd be fine, no matter what. But he really wanted EQ to survive in something like its current form.
"That's where you two come in," said Troy, "assuming you're up for it."
I'd zoned out. I'd been thinking about a polite way to tell Troy I couldn't afford the IQ wardrobe, and worrying that I'd embarrass Charlie when I did, and wondering about traffic on the drive back to the Pines, and planning how Charlie and I could spend Saturday, our last day together before he left on Sunday morning.
"Come again?" said Charlie. I was glad that he was as confused as me.
"How would you two like to be EQ's first College Brand Ambassadors?"
What was that, I wondered. Charlie asked Troy what he had in mind.
"We want to attract customers to the Atelier, especially customers looking for entire wardrobes. We're working on some celebrity endorsements, but our brand's price-point is lower than top-tier celebrities want to associate with, and we won't make deals with anybody B-list or below. So I thought we'd try a little ground-up marketing in the meantime."
"College students?" said Charlie doubtfully. "We're not even D-listers."
"You're way more valuable than celebrities," said Troy. "You're college students at expensive universities. College students whose friends might spend $10,000 or more on the Atelier Experience. College students who need professional wardrobes for fancy internships and new jobs. And also, a college student who helped launch EQ. And his friend," Troy added with a smile in my direction.
"Two of Jon's suitemates at A. Ham. are influencers. Do you know `Cutie'?" said Charlie. "Quiddity and Tee? They have millions of followers. They're not celebrities in the way you mean, but you could do worse, if they're looking for endorsements."
"See?" said Troy enthusiastically, "that's just the kind of thinking I have in mind. I'm sure you could bring in plenty of other opportunities just like that. We've resisted the funders' pressure to hire their marketing team because of the directions I'm afraid they'll want to take us. So I'm exploring other options."
Charlie nodded slowly, puzzling something out. "There has to be more," he said thoughtfully but firmly, watching Troy.
Troy smiled sheepishly.
"There's also this, which I ask that you keep to yourselves. My R&D budget runs from Q3 to Q3. This year, I've been focused more on expanding then innovating. With a month left, I still have more than $250,000 to spend. I'll lose the money if I don't use it, and they might cut my budget for next year. We'll give you the wardrobes and find a way to track the ROI on your `Ambassadorships'."
Charlie chuckled, satisfied, and snapped immediately into business mode. "Terms?"
"I didn't have anything formal in mind," said Troy. "We'd build out your EQ Wardrobes and send you updates based on new collections or what you need. You wear the clothes on campus and tell anybody who asks about EQ and the Atelier." Troy shrugged. "I hadn't gotten any farther than that."
I looked at Charlie and Charlie looked at me. I think Troy took the silence as reticence, because he kept talking. "Maybe we can work out a commission if you bring us an Atelier client? Or we come to campus for a presentation that you're part of? Like maybe a fashion show? I guess there might be some publicity rights we'd need to figure out. Other stuff too." He shrugged.
I wondered if I really understood what Troy was offering.
Troy cut through the lengthening silence with a laugh. "Honestly, guys, I just wanted to show Charlie how cool our tech is. And to give you guys a bunch of cool clothes for free. Don't overthink it."
*_**
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback, comments, and suggestions. This chapter is a bit of a detour from Jon's Road Trip, but it was fun to write. I'll publish the next chapter later this month. It may be the last Road Trip chapter but it may also be the penultimate chapter before the finale. After that, you'll get to know Jon's suitemates, and then on to the start of college. It's taken four years to get him there, thanks again for all of your for your support.
Please let me know what you think: cottagecore.stories@gmail.com
Also, if you can, please donate to Nifty at https://donate.nifty.org/