#GloryGang: Baboa Tachie-Menson is modelling Africa’s 3D future
The Glory Girl Gang is our ever-expanding community of female & non-binary talent across Africa. They are storytelling creatives that include photographers, designers, producers, directors, illustrators, artists, editors, and everything else. From media and advertising to fashion and beauty, across freelancing & emerging businesses to strong-standing brands. Discover them here.
While studying fashion in San Francisco, Baboa Tachi-Menson noticed a sustainability gap in the design process that left her asking questions. Searching for solutions to material waste, she found 3D design which ultimately changed the way she thought about design.
Mid covid, we’ve seen the design landscape adapt to 3D solutions altering the course of storytelling as we know it. The emergence of Lil Miquela and The Diigitals’s Shudu challenged what it takes to be a model, and Travis Scott’s Fortnite collaboration foreshadowed Burna Boy’s Twice as Tall trailer.
As we’re witnessing the digital revolution in Africa, we spoke to the founder of Balm.Labs on 3D modelling and its future here.
Can you tell us what you do and why you do it?
I create 3D models of clothing and accessories for fashion brands to help them visualise their designs and market them. It’s very new in the industry and I love it.
How did your passion for 3D design start?
I was introduced to it in my third year of college, and I completely fell in love with the process. I was obsessed with games like The Sims as a child so I think part of it is being in another world. Being able to create things that I envision is also an element that I love.
During the pandemic, the world has went virtual as luxury brands like Dior released virtual stores. How does that compare to Ghana, and Africa, overall?
Interest in 3D design is growing as a whole and there’s a huge demand for it in Africa. But most people are unaware of the various aspects that exist right now, so everybody uses it the same way — for marketing.
For example, Tongoro couldn’t have a photoshoot because of coronavirus which made digitalisation the best option. Other people have since realised they can do it too. Anyango, a Kenyan brand that I worked with showcased as the only African designer at Helsinki Fashion Week which was completely digital this year.
How do you think this will evolve in the next 5–10 years?
I think it’s going to create more jobs and change how things are done.
We might see a shift in how editorials are produced, especially with locations that can’t be easily accessed. Like Shudu, she’s most likely modelled after someone, with someone else doing her interview voiceovers. Some people think digital models are going to take over real models jobs but it actually expands the industry.
I read an article from 2017 about how quickly Africa adapts to digital things, like mobile phones and money. I assume it’ll be the same thing with this. We might not completely switch to digital but I believe aspects like fabric making/printing and creating sewing patterns will move soon. I’ve already seen 3D elements printed on fabric, which is quite cool.
A lot of designers in Ghana use 3D technology, as you can print accessories, glasses, phone cases and earrings for mass production. When it comes to jewellery, just usually print in plastic then coat it in gold or silver.
Walk us through the work you did with MADE
I brought Tongoro’s designs and editorial vision to life to really show the brand’s identity. It was my first time working on a project like that which was really exciting but also, a little scary. There was a lot of back and forth to get exactly what she wanted as communicating was a bit hard. I’d never done anything like that before, and she had all these amazing ideas that I had to learn new software for which wasn’t easy.
We’re two creative African women who created every single aspect of a project of this nature from our respective home countries of Ghana and Senegal. I believe something like that is quite rare to find.
What do you take into consideration when making your digital models?
The first thing is representation and how realistic — or unrealistic — I want the models to be. Another key consideration is how the client wants to relate to their audience. I usually ask clients for descriptions on what they want their models to look like and reference images. Obviously, it’s impossible to make them look exactly like somebody else, and I also don’t think it’s fair to completely steal somebody’s likeness. For Tongoro, I also looked at the models they used in previous work and built off that.
Online personas are very quickly becoming extensions of people’s real life. What can you tell us about the Uncanny Valley?
I feel like we’re on the way there.
There’s so much to say about it but simply put, it’s the point where 3D characters look so realistic that they start to look eerie. Some models are made to look real and some look obviously fake. The uncanny valley is where those points meet and you can’t really differentiate whether it’s real or not, so it just looks weird. Think Lil Miquela.
The whole basis of the uncanny valley is about it hanging on the ropes and how we, as people, perceive them.
How do you think 3D design will affect human identity and social interactions in the future with the implementation of avatars, etc?
It depends on how far we go with it but generally it will allow us to create new identities and new ways of interacting by allowing us to be in many places at once.
