AI: The Technology Dominating Christmas Fashion This Year

Wiki Article

The evolution of the fashion industry is continuing at an accelerated rate. As we approach Christmas, AI (artificial intelligence) will no longer be seen as an "experiment", it will continue to build as a normal, operational method for retailers and fashion brands of all sizes to operate their Christmas campaigns. The way in which products are presented, promoted and sold will be altered due to this change in methodology.

Evidence is providing clear evidence of this transition. Over 200 brands were surveyed in Indonesia regarding their use of AI in visual Christmas marketing and 68% of those brands reported using AI tools in their Christmas campaigns (up from only 12% one year ago). Over the past year, investment into AI technology (including fashion photography) increased by 340%!

Cost efficiency and flexibility are the two primary reasons driving this trend towards the adoption of AI. Traditional Christmas collection photo shoots can cost a mid-range brand between $3,000-10,000, whereas the cost of using AI to create comparable visual results will typically fall between 20-30% of that price.

VISBOOM: The Platform Changing the Landscape

Of the many new artificial intelligence tools available, Visboom dominates them all as the most rapidly adopted platform for fashion retailers. This photo editing platform uses artificial intelligence to transform the holiday campaign workflow into four distinct parts: model swapping, background swapping, pose swapping, and "try-on."

Model swapping allows fashion retailers to showcase diversity in their campaigns by displaying multiple ethnicities and body types through one photo shoot. It's now possible for brands to present inclusive representations for a fraction of the price they would have had to pay to have multiple photo shoots taken, as they've been able to create endless variations of models at one shoot.

Background swapping allows fashion retailers to take away the need for scouting for locations and paying for studio costs. A Christmas outfit can now be showcased in an icy environment, a cozy living room, or an elegant ballroom. All of this can now be accomplished by taking one photo in a very basic studio, so the time it takes to produce a holiday campaign has gone from weeks to days.

Pose swapping provides a visual dynamic that previously required brands to take multiple takes of models in the same pose. The AI's ability to change standing models' poses into sitting, walking, and dynamic poses has created much more diverse representations of models within holiday campaign visuals, without the added issues of model exhaustion and expensive photo shoots.

Try-on is an absolute game changer for e-commerce. Many studies have shown that by allowing consumers to "try-on" items before purchasing, return rates can be reduced by up to 60%, as evidenced by the early adopters of this capability. By allowing consumers to shop with more realistic expectations, overall satisfaction with their purchases is increased.

Impact on the Fashion Industry

The impact of democratization has led to small brands going head-to-head with larger companies in regards to the visual quality of their imagery. In addition, the democratization of visual content has allowed small companies to compete against the large retailers based on product creativity and quality, rather than on price and/or budget.

The job market is shifting too. While photographers/stylists may not be replaced, their job descriptions are being changed. Instead of being responsible for a large volume of photographs, the focus is now on developing creative direction and concepts. As a result, new skill sets are required to understand the capabilities and limitations of AI.

Environmental sustainability also benefits as there are fewer photoshoots, which reduces travel, the amount of setup waste generated, and the overall carbon footprint. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly demanding brand sustainability, and this digital-first approach aligns perfectly with this growing demand.

Challenges and Ethical Questions

The use of AI in the marketplace raises ethical issues, especially with respect to authenticity. Are consumers deceived by images produced with AI technology? There is still no clear standard for disclosing when AI has been used. Brands that openly communicate that they use AI can have greater consumer loyalty than brands that do not disclose their use of AI.

Job loss is also a significant concern. Historically assisted roles within photographic production (assistants, make-up artists, location managers) will see reduced need due to AI technology. The entire photographic industry needs to take action regarding reskilling and upskilling workers within these positions.

AI's impact on the fashion industry has already begun and does not appear to be going anywhere soon! Demos of how brands will utilize AI in conjunction with human input during the upcoming holiday season (and beyond) are just one example of a trend that will continue in the coming years. Brands who choose to adopt and leverage this technology responsibly should have great success; brands that do not will fall further behind their competitors.