Collection “Through Wire and Air”: Made Possible with the Support of NFHRI & Creative Robotics Lab
For Through Wire and Air, luur’s debut collection exploring the evolving relationship between humans, robots and AI, we wanted to place the collection inside a world where these conversations are already happening.
With the generous support of the National Facility for Human-Robot Interaction Research (NFHRI) and the Creative Robotics Lab (CRL) at UNSW Sydney, we were given the opportunity to photograph and film our debut campaign inside their facilities — surrounded not only by researchers, but by robots.
The setting felt particularly meaningful for Through Wire and Air. The collection explores the tension and connection between our organic world and technology: our fascination with machines, our uncertainty about them, and the possibility of humans and robots learning to coexist.
Where Humans and Robots Meet
Founded by Professor Mari Velonaki, the Creative Robotics Lab was established at UNSW Art & Design in 2011 and is recognised as Australia’s first social robotics laboratory. Its work brings together art, design, engineering, artificial intelligence and other disciplines to investigate how humans and machines interact — with a strong focus on developing technologies that enhance the human experience.
Its sister facility, the National Facility for Human-Robot Interaction Research, is a purpose-designed research environment where researchers can study human interaction with robots and other technological systems using advanced sensing and data-capture technologies. The facility brings together expertise across multiple institutions and disciplines to better understand what happens when humans and intelligent machines share the same space.
For luur, stepping into this environment brought the ideas behind Through Wire and Air into the physical world.
Humans + Robots
The experience was unforgettable for everyone involved in the shoot.
Working with human models alongside robots created moments that felt unfamiliar, funny, unexpected and, at times, surprisingly natural. Instead of treating the robots simply as props, we wanted them to exist within the images as part of everyday life — sharing our spaces and becoming another presence within them.
Today, shooting a fashion campaign alongside robots still feels unusual. We believe that may not be the case for very long.
As robots and AI become increasingly integrated into everyday life, experiences like this may eventually become completely normal. We are happy to have been among the first brands to explore that relationship in this way — and to document a moment when being surrounded by robots still felt extraordinary.
With Special Thanks
This project would not have been possible without the generosity and support of the people behind these spaces.
Our special thanks go to Professor Mari Velonaki, Founder and Director of both the Creative Robotics Lab and the National Facility for Human-Robot Interaction Research; Dr Eduardo Benitez Sandoval, Scientia Fellow and Deputy Director of the Creative Robotics Lab; and Jorge Forseck, Senior Research Officer at the National Facility and member of the Creative Robotics Lab.
Thank you for welcoming luur and our entire creative team into your world, for sharing your knowledge and technology with us, and for helping us bring Through Wire and Air to life.
For one day, the line between our collection’s imagined world and the real one became a little less clear.
Humans + Robots. Perhaps the future is closer than we think.
