Artificial Intelligence and Fashion

Popes, Presidents and Prime Ministers in Puffer Jackets. All made possible through the world of Artificial Intelligence. 

In the recent months, AI has been used more and more in the world of fashion to reconfigure underwhelming sneaker collaborations, style world leaders and even to reimagine childhood gaming characters as millennials.

This is just a snippet into the limitless nature of fashion powered by artificial intelligence. For example, in 2020 when Anifa Mvuemba of Hanifa, staged a fully digital fashion show with ghost-like renders of women waking the runway donning the looks for her Congo-inspired collection. The show went viral and saw numerous large fashion houses draw inspiration from it and attempt to imitate the concept. Many commended her on her ability to capture not only the movement of the clothes but also the movement of the female body perfectly. From the Kinshasa pleated mini dress to the denim matching sets, you could really tell a great amount of time and technology was put into perfecting the movement and look of the clothes. 

In the recent years, we’ve seen many Instagram pages pop up dedicated to showcase AI-designed fashion such as @ai_clothingdaily who uses AI to create these incredibly intricate and couture versions of familiar Nike trainers such as the Air Max 97s and Air VaporMaxes amongst other brands. 

One of the most popular AI concepts came at the disappointment of the masses at the latest Tiffany’s x Nike Air Force 1 Collab. The official sneaker features an all black Air Force in a smooth nubuck leather with the Nike tick in the signature Tiffany’s teal colour. Overall, I think it was one of those collaborations that focus on the clout of the brands over design (but that’s a conversation for another day). Amidst the discontentment, designer @rickdick_ used artificial intelligence to create some alternative options featuring chrome finished leather, pearls and even a glass-like pair, all in the iconic Tiffany blue. Social media was left in a frenzy debating which styles they would’ve chosen over the official design. 

Lastly, we’ve seen many more AI designers as stylists where they use technology to pimp out Popes and US presidents, styling them in oversized puffer jackets, gold chains and trendy sneakers. Though these images are not real, these images definitely have helped to make these political figures a bit more relevant in pop culture. We don’t only see humans being stylised through artificial intelligence, but also some of our favourite and beloved video-game characters. Michele Torresi styled the Super Mario characters as style icons, with Mario in a full Fila look, Luigi in Gucci and Princess Peach in Moschino. 

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of fashion and technology. While designers are not sure how feasible and practical AI-designs are, they definitely widen the imagination. We can’t be certain what the future of fashion and technology may look like but we certainly are excited about what’s next, whatever that may be.