Fashioning The Future

The world seems to be moving incredibly fast with the introduction of widely accessible artificial intelligence technology, making it challenging to keep up with everything happening within the tech world. These new technological advances have and will continue to change the trajectory of the apparel industry, making it more crucial than ever to stay up to date with them. Technology’s impact on fashion within the past 10 years has truly changed the entire field, and the introduction of AI will speed up this momentum. I want to share some exciting uses for artificial intelligence within the fashion world, as well as some ethical questions related to the use of AI within the ever-changing design industry.

Whether we realize it or not, AI has been used for decades in limited form to predict and forecast upcoming trends. AI has been used to process information regarding colors, patterns, and styles and predict future trends and customer preferences based on historical data collected by companies or scrapped from the web. Using this tool makes it easier than ever for businesses to make products more likely to be popular within their target market. AI has even allowed brands to market and test their products with potential customers before starting production, assisting in reducing fabric and production waste.

Designers have been “partnering” with Artificial Intelligence to generate new projects using design algorithms like Stable Diffusion, DALL-E, and Midjourney. Users can now set specific parameters within these design generators and receive thousands of Avant Garde looks that correlate with their vision and brand image. Not only do these AI services save time, but they also open up new ideas that designers can utilize to grow their brands. For example, the New York-based fashion label, Vaquera, produced a handful of AI-generated gowns for the 2023 MET Gala using Midjourney. These images took less than one day to complete and had the entire fashion community buzzing. The brand fooled thousands who believed these designs to be actual looks worn by unknown celebrities or socialites, but the dresses and “celebrities” depicted at the infamous event never physically existed in the first place. AI-generated designs possess the ability to deceive us all. They can blur the boundaries of what we deem as real or fake.

Last Spring, the world was introduced to the first Artificial Intelligence Fashion Week, or AIFW for short. The show in New York displayed 24 screens displaying ground-stopping virtual runway images created by new independent designers utilizing AI design algorithms. A small group of digital designs were chosen to be produced in real life and can currently be purchased on Revolve. It will become increasingly more accessible for customers to buy AI-generated designs, and we shouldn’t be alarmed to see most apparel companies sell AI-generated designs soon.

There are thousands of benefits to using Artificial Intelligence within fashion design, but there are also countless challenges and ethical questions to consider while using AI in this industry. We have to remember that AI uses pre-existing works of art to create patterns, design methods, and styles, which can raise questions about the authenticity and originality of its finished designs. AI often uses artists’ work without their knowledge or consent to create what people consider “original” designs. AI can also diminish the artistry, skill, and work designers put into their pieces. It can supplant opportunities for designers, makeup artists, set designers, and other individuals involved in producing a fashion collection or show. At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves; are designers really “partnering” with AI? Or are they relying on this new tech at their own peril? Will the future of fashion rely solely on AI? What will the role of people be in a fashion world where machines might be more creative and cost-effective than their human counterparts? While there is talk of regulating AI, there is no easy way to establish practical limitations on using AI, so designers utilizing this tech must follow their code of morals and ethics. In my opinion, the artistic eye, human touch, and emotional depth create true Avant Garde couture and AI seemingly strips away these aspects, which make fashion a form of human art.