With the increasing use of AI encroaching into search engines, homework assignments, and the accent of the most recent Academy Award winner, it seems as though we are adapting to a new world where we share our space alongside the mind of a computer. Industries like healthcare and agriculture are beginning to incorporate AI in various stages, with the fashion industry following close behind. I took a deep dive to see how AI is being used within fashion to see whether or not its inclusion can lend itself to a more sustainable future in fashion.
To begin, AI in fashion is mostly utilized on the business side of things. Forbes discloses how AI models are able to accurately read sales performance and inventory, predicting future sales, when to restock, and what to restock in stores. This ability to manage the supply chain can help reduce waste from garments that don’t sell well, can improve customer satisfaction, and can increase profits. AI also can help businesses analyze data to determine what the best marketing strategies are, maximizing advertisements by targeting the right demographic of shoppers, and can even create advertising content itself given the right parameters. AI also changes the shopping experience for consumers. Chatbots – such as Personal Shopper for Luxury Goods (powered by ChatGPT) and KNXT – have also entered the fashion industry, helping consumers to curate personal style and leading them to specifically recommended products and sales. AI seems to be exploding, with design houses and brands feeling pressure to develop a clear stance on AI or “risk getting left behind” (Min & Jin).
A lot of this sounds excellent for the fashion industry in terms of sustainability; specifically, reduced waste from overstocked and unsold garments, which is a leading cause of waste within fashion. However, is the use of AI really as sustainable as it seems? Although there is potential from less wasted garments and scrapped designs, AI comes at an environmental cost. People seem to forget that our devices need energy to continue running at tip top speed, with AI consuming a significant amount of energy for storing all of its knowledge. It also requires mass amounts of water to keep the equipment cool at data centres. AI in the industry also comes with pitfalls unrelated to the environment, such as a widespread loss of jobs for human workers, leading to an overall decline in the quality of garments. If we are able to reduce the amount of waste, where does that leave us when the clothing that does sell on the market is only able to last for one trend cycle?
We also run the already increasing risk of homogenization, with fashion more about uniformity in trends as opposed to creativity and individuality. This lends itself to a decline of people genuinely caring about fashion, changing shopping habits to one's expression and basic needs, to one of consistently buying in order to fit the new releases and trends.
Even if AI expertly predicts trends, it’s the trend cycle that continues over and over. It produces what people want – for only a short amount of time – with our ever increasing appetite for more clothes and more aesthetics and more “vibes” to curate. AI strips the idea of fashion as an art form and instead prioritizes efficiency and improving business models. While this is beneficial for one side of the industry, it makes us forget that clothing, garments, and designs are important for our self-esteem, our self-expression, and to feel that we are art forms ourselves. Decorating oneself is the catalyst for individuality (see any other article I’ve written on this website), and AI, although smart for business and the sustainability of utilizing garments efficiently, emphasizes sameness.
Obviously, we are reliant on our technology to get through our day-to-day life. There are other online softwares that designers can use to reduce waste and scrap fabric in their designs without the use of Artificial Intelligence. A dear friend of mine (@livinggarments on insta) introduced me to CLO3D, a software that allows for creating 3D designs in real time. CLO3D mimics fabric textures and draping, creating accurate models and measurements without needing to use test fabrics, and reducing scrapped garments due to tailoring mistakes. It allows for up and coming designers to forward a sustainable agenda in their own designs. It’s an excellent resource, full of tutorial videos, job postings in the industry, and a page dedicated to sustainability in the industry.
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