Header image credit: Fashion illustration by Елена Веденяпина
In today’s Woefully Incomplete Showcase™, we shine a light on the work of three fashion designers who are pushing the boundaries of traditional design by incorporating AI into their creative process. From using machine-learning algorithms to generate new patterns and textures to using computer vision to analyze trends and predict future styles, these designers are demonstrating how technology can be used to enhance the world of fashion.
So, whether you’re a fashion enthusiast, a designer looking for inspiration, or simply curious about the intersection of technology and fashion, keep reading to discover the incredible possibilities of AI in the world of fashion.
NEWFACET
Bridging the evolving leaps and bounds in technology with fashion design, NEWFACET uses Stable Diffusion to expand its creative process and visualize a series of unique concepts and cuts.
Their resulting designs and show gaunt and moody models in paneled coats, balaclava jackets, and ponchos that don’t point to any obvious influences. Though the images seem torn from a fashion magazine, the models don’t exist, and neither does the clothing — at least not yet. (The “brand” currently exists only as an Instagram account, and no other information is available on them, so the jury’s really out on this one.)
Mountain Yam
Long-established and renowned fashion designer Mountain Yam has lately incorporated AiDA (“AI-based Interactive Design Assistant”) into his design process.
AiDA was built specifically as a tool for designers to collaborate with AI, meaning they can upload draft sketches, materials, and color palettes to a virtual mood board, and the AI generates blueprints that designers can zhuzh to their liking. This software stands in contrast to programs like DALL-E and Midjourney, which seem to do much of the heavy lifting.
Speaking to Fashion Network, Mountain Yam said of AiDA:
“Our relationship is comparable to a romantic relationship in that I seemed to gradually get to know her (AiDA), and she gradually got to know my own designs. In accordance with my lines, styles, and databases, the system will propose something for me that I may not have ever considered but [AiDA] thinks is suitable for me. Therefore I believe we are developing a long-term relationship.”
This sneaker does not exist
This sneaker does not exist presents site visitors with hundreds of probable shoe designs that don’t exist, floating by on the screen like an image from a sneakerhead’s heaven. Applied AI Engineer Stan van der Vossen trained his personal AI shoe design generator with images of 50,000 existing sneaker styles. As the shoes float by, you can click one you like and tweak a few parameters to get a slightly different outcome based on the given design. As of yet, the shoes do not in fact exist, but maybe 3D-printing shoe startup Zellerfeld will change that one day.
We’re absolutely aware that we’ve missed plenty of amazing designers who are collaborating with AI to create apparel and accessories unlike anything we’ve ever seen — which is why you should email us about who we’ve missed: editorial@makersplace.com
