December 6, 2023
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How Fashion Brands Are Already Using Generative AI in Fashion
Table of Contents
Introduction
ChatGPT. BERT. DALL-E. Generative AI systems have broken into the big time in the past few years, revolutionizing everything from copywriting to customer service. Previous assumptions that creative industries were safe from the unrelenting tide of technological advancement suddenly became less than certain.
Chances are you've read an article written by a robot or marveled at an AI-generated artwork. Just as in publishing or the film industry, fashion houses and designers are also looking at ways to integrate these nascent technologies into their processes, saving time and money.
In fact, numerous leading fashion brands have already launched products or tools utilizing AI in fashion design and more. Let's explore how AI is already changing fashion forever.
Key Insights
* AI is revolutionizing fashion with hyper-personalization, offering individualized shopping experiences and unique product recommendations.
* Virtual shopping assistants powered by generative AI, such as Zalando's ChatGPT-based assistant, provide personalized fashion advice and product suggestions, enhancing the online shopping experience.
* AI is being used in fashion design, allowing anyone to create high-quality designs without artistic skills, as demonstrated by Revolve and Maison Meta's AI Fashion Week, whereAI-generated designs were turned into physical products.
* The "Virtual Try-On" feature, led by companies like Google, Amazon, and Adobe, uses AI technology for virtual try-ons, addressing the challenge of online shopping where customers can't physically try on clothes.
Hyper-Personalization
Consumers don't just want personalization; they expect it.Indeed, according to Smarter HQ, 80% of frequent shoppers only shop with brands that personalize the experience. Until now, personalization took the form of micro-segmentation – grouping consumers together based on key demographic data.
However, fashion AI tools can tailor the retail experience at the individual level. Consumers may get shopping recommendations based solely on their personality and past purchases or even read unique product descriptions written by a generative AI platform that knows all their buying data. Think Minority Report meets The Devil Wears Prada.
For example, Resleeve.ai can generate entirely new, never-before-seen products in a matter of seconds. Going forward, everything from the imagery to the copy to the sales deal could be tailored to an individual consumer. It is a level of fingerprint marketing that was previously reserved for only the most luxury brands.
Virtual Shopping Assistants
Remember when getting fashion advice meant going in-store and asking for an assistant? Even then, only the top brands or high-end department stores offered personal shopping assistants to find you clothes that fit your style and body.
Such assistants (like Rachel in Friends) had a lifetime of fashion experience behind them. But even these people were only human – they couldn't memorize the entire store's clothing.
Not so with the upcoming virtual shopping assistants.
Powered by generative AI, these assistants can listen to your requests, browse the online collection, and recommend products, gradually learning and refining its recommendations. Better still, it'll remember every previous encounter with perfect clarity, drawing on customer data to personalize the selection.
German-based fashion eRetailer Zalando is already launching a virtual fashion assistant powered by ChatGPT. For example, if a customer asked, "What should I wear for a wedding in Santorini in July?" the assistant would recommend clothes suitable for a formal event in a warm climate.
As the brand revealed in a statement:
"This is just the beginning; we are committed to understanding our customer's needs and preferences even better, and we are eager to explore the potential that ChatGPT can bring to their shopping journey."
Designing New Clothes
Sure, AI in fashion can make recommendations or personalize marketing. However, fashion designers are safe from the machine, right?
Maybe not.
Listed above, we saw how the app Resleeve allows anyone(designer or not) to generate high-quality designs instantly. No artistic skills are required. Just a vivid imagination and the ability to write a concise, clear sentence or two.
It's not hard to imagine a world where much of the design work is crowdsourced. Consumers create designs using AI, and manufacturers select the most popular versions for a limited production run.
In April 2023, Revolve and Maison Meta (an AI-powered creative agency) joined forces for the first AI Fashion Week. The most popular garments from the fashion week were then turned into physical products available for sale.
Including 10 to 12 pieces in the initial release, the prices are beyond most people's bank accounts. For example, a pleated taffeta dress went for a cool $1,598, while a one-shouldered top is $228. You'd be hard-pressed to identify these designs as AI if put up against anything inParis Fashion Week. Where once you needed artistic flair (and good drawing skills) to turn an idea into reality, now it's a matter of clicking and creating.
Virtual Try-On
As fashion retail moved online, there was one significant problem: you can't try anything on. Brands got around the problem by offering simple, efficient return policies. Now, the same generative AI tech that can develop new designs instantly can also put you in the place of a mannequin.
Google is leading the process.Beginning in mid-2023, US shoppers using Google Shopping could virtually try on women's tops from a number of major brands.
Currently, almost half of online shoppers don't feel represented by images of models, while 59% say products look different in person than they expected. These novel AI-created images circumvent the problem.
Google isn't alone. Amazon and Adobe have also experimented with generative apparel modeling; meanwhile, AIMIRR – a tech startup – promises to overlay garments on a live video of a person.
Closing Thoughts
Want to be at the forefront of AI fashion? That's where UNIK can help. As an AI-powered fashion platform, our users can generate new fashion ideas, communicate effortlessly between shoppers and artisans, and conduct safe transactions using Stripe.
AI promises a fashion retail experience like never before.Tailored products, 100% unique designs, and no more mass-production. Learn more about the remedy to fast fashion, and sign up today.
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