• Designers? What’s that?
• Why would you have humans in factories? They’re so inefficient.
• You are being tracked.
• “Sustainability”.
• Artificial Intelligence, next is Artificial experience.
• Tomorrow’s clothes, today.

The future of fashion hangs in the balance. What began as a conversation about the new shiny toy, “A.I” (forget NFT’s and Bitcoin…how last season), pictures of the Pope rocking a pristine white Balenciaga styled puffer jacket nearly broke 2023. The image, created by an A.I. (artificial intelligence) image generator, portrays the head of the Catholic Church as this year’s edgiest fashionista and style icon. Fashion lovers were left gagging, and current vernacular to describe the fabulous, “on god”, rose to new heavenly heights. What followed were frenetic weeks of Mid-journey (another A.I. image generator) generated images, flooding screens as the “new art”, but that’s another conversation. As the 4th industrial revolution looms, threatening our jobs with a digital overhaul, culture waits to see what the new dawn will bring. Fashion, as ever is the barometer of cool. It is at the forefront of this societal evolution and has always led with innovation and technology. The Wire explores the promises and solutions A.I. will bring to fashion. You decide if it’s worth it.

Designers? What’s that?

A.I. is not just disrupting the tradition of garment design and manufacture; it comes with a fiery sword to renew the old ways. Now with the help of A.I., stylists (or those who will input the prompts) can create new designs more efficiently and accurately.

Remember when “Big Data” was the in thing? Well, now A.I. algorithms can analyse large amounts of data from social media, fashion blogs, and consumer buying habits to identify emerging trends and predict what styles and colours will be popular in the coming seasons. They already offer designer brands and retailers a window into the future to stay ahead of the curve and, of course, milk big profits.

A.I. can also generate design concepts based on specific inputs, such as colour, fabric, and style. Witness the rise of Mid-journey and its cohorts. The Pope’s puffer is a great example of this as are the gorgeous A.I. renderings of Nike concept apparel. What this means though, is bye-bye designer.

Why would you have humans in factories? They’re so inefficient.

Humans will soon be banished from the factory floor. A.I. is bringing an actual physical change to the way clothes are manufactured. The typical manufacturing robots already used for decades are now being powered by A.I. and complete work in a fraction of the time with increased accuracy. As Algorithms optimise production lines, reduce waste and increase efficiency, they will predict demand for specific products, adjust production schedules, and minimize over and under-production.

You are being tracked.

Have you noticed the global rise in anxiety? The caveman part of our brain knows we are being hunted – all the time. We are being tracked every single waking hour.

A.I. algorithms can analyse consumer data – things like purchase history and social media activity – understanding people and their preferences with the greatest of intimacy. Why? It makes it easier to recommend products that are likely to appeal to us. Its makes us feel special.

Your body measurements and style preferences are now cleverly calculated to your individual needs and preferences. They now know what you want before you want it.

Sell it to them with “sustainability”.

For years fashion has contributed to waste and pollution. It’s the ugly side of beautiful things. To address this, A.I. algorithms can crunch the big numbers to identify areas where sustainability can be improved, for example, more eco-friendly materials or production processes that are less wasteful.

A.I. can also help to optimise supply chains to reduce transportation and storage costs, and minimise carbon emissions.

Artificial Intelligence, next is Artificial experience.

The most important but overlooked aspect of fashion is the dopamine high we get from shopping. And what does that look or feel like after the digital revolution? From A.I.-powered chatbots who offer personalised recommendations and frequently asked questions sections, to A.I. insights into shopping behaviours and preferences, your shopping experience will be unique and special to you. Click to see how the clothing will look on you before making a purchase and see a live feed of the latest fashion trends. Goodbye bricks and mortar, hello bandwidth.

Tomorrow’s clothes, today

The only constant is that change is inevitable. Fashion, as an indicator of current global culture, beautifully tracks how we as a species innovate and evolve. Unlike before, this time we have a direct hand in the change and the consequences – both good and bad – will be ours to bear.

That, and the memories of how things used to be.