AI in Fashion: For Better & Worse
We’re all familiar with “fast fashion,” but Marc Jacobs took the phrase to a whole new level with a recent three-minute runway show. Perhaps more unsettling than the brisk pace of the 29 models was the show notes generated by Open AI’s Chat GPT. The notes focus on the brand’s “innovative approach to blending men’s wear-inspired tailoring with feminine aesthetics,” but the collection’s ‘80s inspired tailoring and bustier details feel more like a nod to the pre-Internet era.
Photo courtesy of Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs isn’t the only brand that’s funneling technological influences into its clothes. During Paris Men’s Fashion Week, Louis Vuitton collaborated with artist ET to produce a line of wearable pieces featuring a pixelated camouflage print as a nod to the digitization of fashion. While the industry is constantly adapting to cultural changes, there seems to be a race for brands to integrate AI into their business and creative models with little to no thought to the implications.
Photo courtesy of Marc Jacobs
AI has made its way into fashion in more ways than one. Trends come and go quicker these days, and designers are interested in AI’s capacity to predict upcoming styles and test color and pattern combinations. In fact, tech-optimists argue that AI can reduce waste by decreasing the number of samples required in the revision process of a garment, not to mention combat overproduction by increasing the accuracy of ordering and inventory requirements.
Photo courtesy of Marc Jacobs
Computer-generated inclusivity is also a recent topic for discussion. Companies save face and money by using AI to generate models of all races, ages, and sizes because consumers are more likely to buy a garment when they see it worn by someone who looks like them. But raised profits don’t erase the issue of using AI-generated images rather than hiring real people to promote diversity. Just last month, denim pioneer Levi’s faced backlash after announcing that it would test AI models later this year as part of its diversity efforts. Whereas Levi’s use of AI was deemed “lazy” and a “fashion fail,” other brands are lauded for their successful adaptation. Dior, for instance, is one of the first luxury houses to use interactive AI software. Called “Dior Insider,” the AI Chatbot answers queries and provides clients with personalized product recommendations via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton
As brands continue to test AI and learn from their mistakes, it’s important that we don’t anthropomorphize the technologies which enable these changes — whether positive or negative. In other words, we’re in control of machines and not the other way around. By keeping this in mind, we can engage meaningfully.
Photo courtesy of Levi’s and Lalaland.ai
Article by Meyme Nakash, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Alexa Dyer, Graphic Designer, PhotoBook Magazine
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