Generative AI Meets Fashion

You must be familiar with the term generative artificial intelligence (AI). It has likely popped up in your reading material or spoken about by peers. It has been around for a while now. Over the years, there have been advances, and recent developments have enabled it to progress to creating information such as realistic images, videos, and audio through simple prompts. For those of you wondering what it is, think of ChatGPT — it is a good example of generative AI. In addition to the advantages, your mind will pull up a list of concerns around the use of such technology. There has been a lot of conversation regarding ethics, the provenance of the information, fake news, plagiarism, cybersecurity and, most of all, the future of specific roles for working professionals.  

At BW Businessworld, we decided to delve into this space and look at the use of generative AI in fashion. We spoke to top fashion designers and leaders in the industry to understand how it will enhance the space and the challenges we can expect. Experts believe that for the fashion industry, generative AI will help market products better and provide an enhanced consumer experience. A recent McKinsey report suggests that within the next three to five years, generative AI could add around $150 billion or more to the operating profits of the apparel, fashion, and luxury sectors.

Augmentation and acceleration 

Pearl Uppal, Creative Head and Founder of Talking Threads, says AI is not just automation, it is about augmentation and acceleration — and, that means opening up new creative space. She believes it will allow creative thinkers in the fashion industry to explore new styles and materials, as well as new ways of manufacturing, and marketing. 

"As a creative director, I am rooting for the benefits that the foundation models and generative AI can deliver across the fashion value chain, particularly in augmenting the efforts of our designers and artists —  converting sketches, mood boards, and descriptions into high-fidelity designs, and creating newly enriched product ideation and variations from past product lines and inspirational imagery," she says.

She adds that in line with their sustainable production philosophy, her brand Talking Threads is invested in Just in Time (JIT) production and virtual augmentation of inventory. "AI promises to augment our ability to do so with increased levels of confidence in the data predictive models". Additionally, she believes that trend analysis, customisation at scale, and consumer experience will see significant improvement. 

Originality could come into question 

Noted designers Abraham & Thakore feel that while AI will undoubtedly disrupt the entrenched processes in the fashion industry there will be many benefits. Enhancing consumer experience by enabling personalised consumer analysis will help understand consumer needs better. 

They see value being added to trend analysis, which will help in planning new collections and product launches effectively. Further, designers would have access to multiple resources in pattern, colour, and form along with all the other tools required for the creative process.

"However, a word of caution. What makes fashion special is the personal connection between designers and their creations. If AI takes over certain design tasks, this connection could be diluted and will lack the depth of creativity and originality that human designers bring to their work," they say. 

Understanding the consumer 

Renowned designer Raghavendra Rathore believes AI is still in a nascent stage, but what lies ahead promises to revolutionise every facet of society. He says, "The Raghavendra Rathore Jodhpur brand has been progressive in embracing AI, not merely as a novel technology but as an integral tool. We utilise AI to enhance the design process and, more critically, to understand the behaviour and preferences of our clientele. This innovative approach allows us to anticipate and respond to client needs, shaping designs that resonate with their tastes and aspirations". He adds that by leveraging the emerging capabilities of AI, we are positioning ourselves at the forefront of a transformative wave that is redefining the way design is conceived, created, and appreciated. 

Enhancing fashion retail  

K.V. Shridhar, Chief Creative Officer of Nihilent, the global consulting company, says the power of generative AI is unveiling a mere preview of the future's boundless potential. Witnessing real-time ramp walks with personalised fashion choices is just the beginning. Generative AI's current capabilities, despite limitations, have already begun revolutionising the fashion retail landscape.

"Our journey in applying generative AI to prominent fashion brands in the US and South Africa has yielded extraordinary results. While its applications are versatile, some of the most impactful transformations occur behind the scenes. Through tools like MidJourney & Stable Diffusion, we are rapidly crafting intricate visual merchandising prototypes, enhancing efficiency and creativity".

Intriguingly, generative AI is driving our future-focused experiments, allowing customers to unleash their creativity with interactive, customisable in-store experiences. With technology as the enabler, we are propelling fashion into a realm of endless imagination and innovation, he says. 

Expert speak   

Prashanth Kaddi, Partner, Consulting, Deloitte India, says the fashion industry is exploring generative AI to understand customer needs, predict fashion trends, and enrich customer experience. "As a use case, we are helping a leading fashion jewellery company empower customers to generate new designs at a much faster pace. Generative AI is bringing hyper-personalisation of products and improving customer experience by offering better product catalogue. While it is an exciting space and many companies are investing in adopting generative AI to up the fashion game, there are challenges such as the vulnerability of copying AI-generated images and infringement issues. With the right guardrails in place, such as Deloitte’s Trustworthy AI framework, these can be mitigated significantly". 

The fashion industry is ready to embrace generative AI, albeit with caution. Designers are looking at using generative AI to delight their consumers by providing enhanced consumer experience. We will continue to watch the space and report on future developments.