SiSU: - Accelerando

Accelerando
The head coutureborg frowns slightly, twin furrows rippling her 2286
brow between perfectly symmetrical eyebrows, plucked to match
her classic New Look suit. “I have heard reference to it, but a
lady of fashion like myself does not concern herself with politics,”
she says, a touch self-deprecatingly. “Especially the politics of her
clients. Your, ah, aunt said it was a question of image?”
“Yes.” Amber shrugs, momentarily self-conscious about her casual 2287
rags. “She's my election agent. My problem, as she says, is there's
a certain voter demographic that mistakes image for substance and
is afraid of the unknown, and I need to acquire a wardrobe that
triggers associations of probity, of respect and deliberation. One
suitable for a representative with a radical political agenda but a
strong track record. I'm afraid I'm in a hurry to start with - I've got
a big fund-raising party tonight. I know it's short notice, but I need
something off the shelf for it.”
“What exactly is it you're hoping to achieve?” asks the male cou- 2288
turier, his voice hoarse and his r's rolling with some half-shed Mediterranean
accent. He sounds fascinated. “If you think it might influence
your choice of wardrobe ...”
“I'm running for the assembly,” Amber says bluntly. “On a platform 2289
calling for a state of emergency and an immediate total effort to
assemble a starship. This solar system isn't going to be habitable
for much longer, and we need to emigrate. All of us, you included,
before the Vile Offspring decide to reprocess us into computronium.
I'm going to be doorstepping the entire electorate in parallel,
and the experience needs to be personalized.” She manages to
smile. “That means, I think, perhaps eight outfits and four different
independent variables for each, accessories, and two or three
hats - enough that each is seen by no more than a few thousand
voters. Both physical fabric and virtual. In addition, I'll want to see
your range of historical formalwear, but that's of secondary interest
for now.” She grins. “Do you have any facilities for responsetesting
the combinations against different personality types from
SiSU www.accelerando.org 374