Threads of the Future: How AI is Revolutionising Fashion

When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications to industries, you can rest assured that the fashion industry is not exempt. But in what specific ways has AI already begun to make a shift in the fashion industry and what is the future of its application? AI’s application within the fashion industry has been rapidly evolving, especially last year in sectors such as production, marketing and consumer research.

There are many companies that are taking on AI applications with full force and for good reason. Although AI is still considered something to be wary of, there is still a curious aspect to it for businesses. Everything can bring in something great and revolutionary, but it’s finding that middle ground, and when is enough actually enough? In this piece, we will be discussing not only AI’s modern applications but also what we can expect for its future.

How AI Has Revolutionised The Fashion Industry

Sustainability

The fashion industry, especially fast fashion, has been a huge contributor to greenhouse gases, landfills and other pollution factors. This has always been a sour side to fashion and it’s not just fast fashion; designers will actually go out of their way to burn old merchandise that hasn’t sold rather than donate it or put it on sale to protect their ‘brand image’ which is insane but very common among luxury brands.

With a new generation approaching adulthood, they are huge advocates for fixing what baby boomers and millennials have failed to do, which is to be sustainable and try to be thrifty as much as possible. AI has had some practical involvement in achieving sustainability through enhanced supply chain transparency and better sourcing decisions. This is a win-win situation for brands like Stella McCartney that have made this practical application because Gen Z’s and A’s are taking ethical considerations into their purchases, making them more likely to perceive the brand compared to those who burn their items, such as Burberry.

Trend Forecasting

Fashion brands’ first priority above all is making products that are above and beyond the trends and being the first one to start the trend gives you a huge competitive advantage. The sweet spot is being a part of a trend that lasts for months and with social media making all of these micro-trends every five seconds, this can be very hard and costly for brands to not only keep up but also make products for everything.

AI has the ability to analyse huge amounts of data at once and give you predictions for the future. Whether you are working for Vogue or you are a little influencer, there are things you can ask AI and go from there. This shows us that AI can be another form of inspiration for brands to utilise and revolutionise the way we see fashion.

Augmented Reality

One of the biggest challenges that comes with being a fashion designer is seeing the product before it has been made. This can create many drafts and waste time with trial and error in designs. While there are tools already in place that can help designers see what their products could look like once finished, AI has allowed something just as significant.

Not only that, this tool can actually be used by consumers; it allows individuals to essentially try before they buy through a virtual platform. With a lack of representation from choices of models, individuals can see what certain products look like before they buy. Burberry has actually introduced an AR-based shopping tool that gives their customers the option to virtually experience their products, enhancing their shopping experience online and also avoiding a huge amount of returns in the future, which in itself has a huge amount of benefits to both the customer, business and environment.

Design Elements

Crafting new and innovative designs is not an easy task, especially for large companies where the drops are not only bigger but you have a larger audience to please. Finding new graphics and designs to add to your men’s hoodies sale can leave you with brain fog or maybe you just don’t know how to translate your ideas into a finished design. AI can transfer all of these ideas into a finished product or at least something you can draw inspiration from, alternatively, AI systems can take all of your work from the past, consider your consumer’s preferences and predict what the future of your product looks like.

What About The Future?

There are many talks of AI removing the human element of creativity and, in most cases, removing that wow factor. Knowing a machine has made something can devalue many products and brands’ images. Therefore, knowing when and how to use AI for its benefits without completely letting it take over your brand image is essential for those brands that have spent decades building an image for themselves by being innovative and showing us the power of their creativity.

AI has amazing potential in the fashion industry, especially with sustainability and AR in virtual shopping experiences. We must not forget the power of the human mind when it comes to fashion but with all the technical stuff that needs to be done, I am sure we can trust in AI’s virtual hands.

Final Thoughts

It’s interesting to see what AI has already achieved in the fashion industry, and I hope to see that it’s used more as a last resort and helping tool rather than completely replacing the human and unique factors that come from us. I definitely don’t see that happening but I also see a greater appreciation for things crafted and designed by us in comparison to AI.