The Role of AI in fashion design & manufacturing

AI isn’t just a tool to make funny Instagram pictures or write like a pro. These days, it’s a handy assistant for every type of manufacturer, and the fashion pros are finding it particularly inventive. Fashion design is embracing its usefulness to research and analyse information and algorithms to determine fashion trends and what consumers want and transform this insight into innovative products we all can’t wait to purchase.

This combination of technology and innovation is transforming the textile industry, enabling manufacturers to give customers what they wish for. The technology also assists in the manufacturing, dyeing and design processes, making the fashion industry a most exciting one to be in right now.

Creating Fashion Garments With AI

Now, fashion products are conceived, created and crafted with unimaginable care and detail. Creatives are using AI technology to assist them in generating everything from unique patterns to AI-generated body models that mirror a specific individual’s size and body shape. Tailoring has never been so exact!

But it doesn’t end there… AI assists the industry in customising our personal preferences to how garments function, from making them warmer, cooler, hyper-allergenic or durable, to ensuring they don’t harm the planet. Sustainability is foremost in everyone’s minds, and with AI assistance, we can protect the planet for generations by reducing waste, energy and water.

The result is phenomenal – we are using informed decisions to produce fabrics and designs that are contemporary and true to what the customer wants and needs. This gives fashion a whole new perspective.

The Role of AI in Analysing Trends

AI has made it easier for creative designers and manufacturers to analyse market trends and understand exactly what their customers want. They don’t need to be instinctive; they have the facts at their fingertips that explain the styles, colours, fabrics and designs that will resonate. They also have data on marketing strategies to assist them communicate with consumers about their latest products. AI assists them in segmenting their market, tailoring garments to specific audiences and analysing what competitors are doing to establish what works and what doesn’t in this fickle, ever-changing industry.

Best of all, this data is all instant; it’s happening right now, and everything you learn is the most updated information. Tracking what’s happening online, particularly in social media, enables designers and clothing producers to have the latest figures at their fingertips. This way, you can also get an idea of what’s coming – future trends and forecasts that give you a headstart in producing what your audience will want.

AI Takes on Couture

AI has assisted the industry in creating clothing everybody desires. But it’s also done wonders for high fashion, as this niche can now manufacture fashion-forward, one-of-a-kind items, a new standard in high fashion products. Top designers like Stella McCartney are using alternative leather fabrics, innovative plant-based materials created by AI.

The new fashion revolution includes fabric choices and pattern creation to make the latest garments stand out from the crowd. Quality is exceptional and innovation remains of the highest order.

For more inspiration read our comprehensive guide to Fabric Innovations in Textile and Design.

AI’s Role in Sustainability

You can use AI to assist you in your sustainability goals. Here’s how:

AI can assist you select sustainable products:

Finding sustainable fabrics and processes, especially new and innovative ones, will set you apart from your competitors. You can use AI to determine quality fabrics created using advanced technology to make them soft, durable and environmentally friendly. It can also teach you about new and faster processes to use when manufacturing products, the most advanced digital printing processes to use, and the newest and most exciting methods of automating difficult design processes like embroidery and weaving.

You can find out more in our informative guide on Digital Textiles in Fashion. And if you’d like more information on sustainable printing, read the definitive blog, Sustainable Textile Printing UK: How Fabric Print Processes Will Change in 2025.

Energy-Efficient Processes

We can’t be expected to know everything about being energy-efficient. We need to have updated data on energy consumption  so that our processes and businesses save energy in every possible way. If we keep updated with what is happening, we can reduce the amount of energy we use in every aspect of our design business, and lower greenhouse gas emissions too.

Waste Reduction

Let AI assist you reduce waste in your production processes, and in the everyday running of your business. Keep updated on how to use resources wisely to eliminate waste, and how to improve quality control. The more you can reduce your impact on the environment, the better. There are ways you can do this if you’re prepared to try!

Optimise Your Design Process

AI can assist in making your manufacturing process more efficient, faster and, of course, more sustainable. Ideally, we need to be producing fashion items sustainably with fewer raw materials and less energy. We also need to ensure that every process, from ordering to delivery, uses less energy.

Tracking Trends with AI Analytics

We’ve found a few AI analytical tools to help you. Let’s take a look:

·      The app Green Story monitors businesses’ carbon footprints and also tracks how frequently people wear a garment so one can prolong its lifetime.

·      Want to know consumers’ reactions for the past 15 years? Brandwatch offers this insight gleaned after researching more than 1.7 trillion social media posts about fashion trends. Search by keyword to find out what people have to say about your brand or topics related to your business.

·      Talkwalker has 3 distinct products, covering customer intelligence, market intelligence, and social intelligence. Customer Intelligence includes product reviews; Market Intelligence includes conversations with customers, and Social Intelligence tracks more than 40,000 brand logos and products found on images and videos in social media.

Conclusion

You can use AI in every aspect of your business to transform your fashion business, starting with conceptualising and design through to the final product. Using knowledge from these tools, you can ensure your processes are more sustainable and efficient. You can hone your marketing and customer service skills, absorb insights that will help you predict future trends in your industry. With the right mindset, AI can even help you be more creative and innovative.

Be adaptable. Let AI enhance your business and your creative juices. It lets you explore new ideas and find exciting innovations that will allow you to stand out from your competitors.

Use AI in every way you can to be more sustainable. Help revolutionise the fashion industry by finding new ways to be more efficient, reduce waste and find more sustainable methods for every stage of fashion manufacturing.

''Fashion entrepreneurs lead the charge for progress in sustainability, embracing the United Nations' goals. Through powerful partnerships, we tackle challenges and seize opportunities, driving change across industries. Together, we can shape a green future for all entrepreneurs.''  – Artemis Doupa, maake Co-Founder