MA in Fashion, Textile Art and Material Studies // Thesis

AI-Driven Innovation in Fashion:
Enhancing the Design Process through Technology

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize various industries, a new thesis from the University of Lapland explores its impact on the fashion design sector. The study, "AI-Driven Innovation in Fashion: Enhancing the Design Process through Technology", is written by Charlotta Selkee, who brings eight years of international experience as a Senior Designer in the fashion industry.

The research is guided by three central questions: What does the fashion design process entail? How do fashion companies use AI and digital tools in their design process? And how can AI improve designers’ work? These questions frame the study’s aim to understand current practices while identifying opportunities for meaningful technological support.

While existing literature often highlights the transformative potential of AI in fashion design, it predominantly focuses on speculative technologies or independent creators. This research addresses a notable gap by examining the practical realities faced by designers in commercial fashion companies, where workflows are influenced by legacy systems, structured roles, and organizational culture.

Through semi-structured interviews with designers working for North American and European fashion companies across various market levels, collections, and product categories, the study identifies key opportunities for AI integration. Notably, areas such as digital prototyping, material research, and creative ideation emerge as domains where AI can significantly enhance efficiency and creativity. However, the research also uncovers structural and cultural barriers, specific to the organizational frameworks and practices common in fashion markets, that limit broader adoption of these technologies.

“Designers recognize AI's potential to reduce repetitive tasks and support creative exploration,” says Charlotta Selkee. “Yet, the full integration of AI into daily workflows remains limited due to organizational, technical, and cultural challenges.”

The results show that while the core structure of the design process remains relatively consistent, workflows and tool usage vary widely depending on the company, collection type, and individual designer. AI and 3D tools are used selectively, primarily in early ideation, research, and visualisation phases, yet their full integration into daily workflows is limited by organizational, technical, and cultural barriers.

Designers see significant potential in AI to streamline repetitive tasks, enhance creative exploration, and improve cross-functional collaboration, particularly through better data management and system integration. These findings respond directly to the research questions by offering a detailed account of current design practices, existing uses of AI, and areas where AI could improve efficiency and creativity.

This research contributes a grounded perspective to the evolving discourse on AI in fashion, offering insights that can inform the development of targeted design technologies. By highlighting the lived experiences of design teams working within larger or mid-size fashion companies, the study provides a foundation for developing AI-powered applications or holistic fashion design systems that respond to the actual needs of industry professionals.