Now entering the chat: Artificial Intelligence

Now entering the chat: Artificial Intelligence

By Madison Sloan

The Pope and Balenciaga crossover was not how any of us envisioned 2023 going. But a recent photo of Pope Francis wearing a trendy, white puffer jacket circulated on social media, capturing the attention of everyone who scrolled past the peculiar image.

Don’t worry, you weren’t the only one who believed the picture of Pope Francis was real. “Does the Pope have a stylist?” and “Is his new look inspired by Rihanna’s half time show” were just two of the questions circulating the media after the photo went viral. Even celebrities went online to express their surprise. “I thought the pope’s puffer jacket was real and didn’t give it a second thought,” Chrissy Teigen tweeted. “No way am I surviving the future of technology.”

Most users couldn’t believe the photo was real. And it wasn’t. The image that broke the internet was created by the AI art tool Midjourney. But why is this fashionable photo of the Pope important and what does this mean for the future of Artificial Intelligence in the fashion industry?

From virtual try-on apps to computer generated runway shows and models, AI technology is advancing at a far greater rate than we could have ever imagined. Although many people see AI as a way to personalize the customer experience and reduce marketing costs, others fear this new technology will take creativity out of fashion.

Innovative denim brand G-Star RAW is choosing to see the advantages of AI in the creative process with their new piece of denim couture. To create their “AI Denim Cape,” G-Star’s design team worked hand-in-hand with Artificial Intelligence app Midjourney to come up with 12 unique designs by using a series of prompts.

The team then chose one of the AI-generated designs to be made a reality. Crafted out of premium raw denim with futuristic shapes, an adjustable waistband and detailed stitching, the AI Denim Cape uses new technology to replicate the brand’s aesthetic, bridging the gap between fashion and technological innovations. “Innovation is ingrained in the G-Star DNA.We believe

in giving our fashion designers the freedom to bring their dreams through AI,” said Gwenda van Vliet, CMO of G-Star RAW. “While anyone could make a design using AI, at G-Star RAW, we have the craftsmanship to make those designs into real garments. We should see AI as enhancing the creative process, rather than taking it over.”

The AI Denim Cape will be showcased at the G-Star RAW Antwerp store, as the world’s first garment designed by Artificial Intelligence and crafted in the real world.

While other brands are using AI tools to boost creativity, the famous denim brand Levi’s announced they will be partnering with Lalaland.ai, an AI studio that creates hyper-realistic digital models, to “supplement human models” and increase the “number and diversity of our models.” However, shouldn’t a multibillion-dollar industry be able to pay actual models of different sizes and races to boost diversity?

Currently, Levi’s’ website displays one model per clothing item and usually leaves out the size the model is wearing. If other brands, like Universal Standard, can show how garments fit on models ranging from a size 0 to 36, then why can’t Levi’s follow in their footsteps? Despite Levi’s’ controversial use of Artificial Intelligence, other brands have shifted towards using virtual 3D models in their marketing campaigns.

Whether it’s an altered photo of a celebrity or the use of virtual models, Artificial Intelligence has clearly taken over the realm of fashion. So it is time to make some room, because AI technology isn’t going anywhere.