Makings of the Red Queen
The stylish Red Queen
A reimagining of the Red Queen as a guide, not a stereotypical tyrant and what she was meant to teach us about evolution.
I made “The Makings of the Red Queen” because the Red Queen effect captured my imagination. Leigh Van Valen, an American evolutionary biologist, coined the term. He saw that in nature every species must keep evolving just to survive. Rivals, parasites and prey are evolving too. If you stand still, you fall behind. Van Valen took the idea from Lewis Carroll’s story. In Through the Looking‑Glass, Alice runs with the Red Queen and never leaves the spot. That race became a metaphor for life and change.
Red Queen with Alice
Pop culture often treats the Red Queen as a villain. In cartoons and movies she is confused with her louder cousin, the Queen of Hearts. Her other truth is rarely shown.
I wanted to show a different Red Queen. I pictured her in pleats like Yohji Yamamoto’s and silhouettes like Vivienne Westwood’s. I put status symbols on her because she can mix and change. I wanted to show a woman in power who is social, generous and full of life, not cruel.
Prompted MJ to mix fashion styles.
In fact, she was always confused with her cousin the Queen of Hearts.
Queen of Hearts on the left and the Red Queen on the right.
I used Midjourney to illustrate her. For AI creators, names matter. If you like a designer, tell the model. You can also upload an image and ask Midjourney to describe it. Then you can alter the silhouette, the colours or the fabric. I wanted to see what would happen if I merged Yamamoto and Westwood in a world like Magritte’s.
I can’t give you my exact prompts.
Generative AI models are probabilistic. They sample from many possibilities. Small changes in wording can make a big difference. Even identical prompts produce slightly different results because of randomness, sometimes called temperature. So your output will not match mine.
But I did use the prompt “in the style of…” or “in the signature style of…” and MJ is smart enough to depict the designer’s aesthetic. You can also use MJ’s Style References if you want something fast.
Chanel version
Pro-tip
But I can give you this: hold on to your imagination.
Your storytelling abilities matter, and so does your level of imagination to captivate an audience.
Anyone can learn to craft a prompt and guide an AI, but your way of telling a story is what people will remember. Let the Red Queen remind you that movement and change are part of creation. Keep running, and your stories will evolve with you.
Happy prompting all, and don’t forget to share your creations.