AI takes center stage at NYFW
Designer Kate Barton collaborated with IBM and Fiducia AI at her New York Fashion Week showcase, using AI for creative visualization and real-time audience engagement. The event highlights a trend of AI moving from a back-office tool to a key part of campaign production and runway experiences. Industry experts on the Vogue Business Technology Podcast noted that leading houses now treat AI as a "creative collaborator" for moodboarding and narrative development.
- LVMH has established an "AI Factory" to standardize and scale the use of AI across its brands, including Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co., focusing on forecasting, personalization, and AI-assisted creative work. Dior is already using a GenAI platform called Astra to analyze customer feedback from various channels to stay attuned to consumer preferences. - Independent of large conglomerates, brands like Valentino and Moncler have pioneered AI-generated campaigns. Valentino's "Essentials" menswear campaign in 2023 was entirely AI-generated, while Moncler's "Genius" campaign for London Fashion Week used AI to create visuals for collaborations with artists like Pharrell and Alicia Keys in just two weeks. - AI is being utilized to revive brand heritage; Burberry is using AI to animate archival photographs for contemporary advertising campaigns. This approach is part of a broader strategy for luxury brands to reinterpret historical content for modern audiences. - While some designers embrace AI for intricate design development, like Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia who used it for embroidery and beading, others are more cautious. Patricio Campillo of Campillo, for example, uses AI for business planning but avoids it in the creative process to maintain the "purity" of his ideas. - The use of AI extends to runway show production, where it can optimize seating arrangements, coordinate lighting and sound, and manage backstage logistics. It also aids in sustainability by allowing for virtual simulations of set designs, reducing material waste. - Fast-fashion retailers are also heavily investing in AI. Zara uses AI to generate multiple outfit variations from a single photoshoot with a real model, and Zalando uses it to accelerate image production. - A counter-movement is emerging as some luxury houses, like Hermès and Bottega Veneta, are emphasizing human artistry and traditional craftsmanship in response to the rise of AI. This is a strategic choice to highlight what machines cannot replicate: the unique touch of human artisans. - McKinsey estimates that generative AI could add up to $275 billion to the profits of the apparel, fashion, and luxury sectors. A Boston Consulting Group study found that using AI for creative innovation tasks resulted in a 40% better performance compared to a control group that did not use it.
