Can AI Make Fashion More Sustainable?

Written in Febuary for a Scheduled Spring Release Series- ‘Fashion In The New World’

According to the reports, the consumer market has reached a deadlock in the fashion industry. No, consumers haven’t completely stopped buying, but they seem to be critical of brands where sustainability isn’t part of their ethos. It goes without saying, that clothes resonate individuality and the ability to showcase one’s personality and feelings in wearable’s has contributed to the fashion industry being the colossal industry that its become, with a valuation of three trillion dollars by the end of 2018. Just as the fashion world has experienced unprecedented growth and expansion, so has another industry many have dubbed, ‘the wave of the future,” Artificial Intelligence, except that pour society has accelerated leaps and bounds during this time, that “the future” is now!

The implementation of artificial intelligence in the fashion industry started from the manufacturing units, and today it is ubiquitous, as it has branched out in the selling networks and marketing podiums of the business. It is widely known that in logistics and manufacturing, artificial intelligence has been impactful and transformative. But many argue that the revolutionary factor of AI has yet to be truly experienced and that this new reality age of fashion will be marked by sustainability in the industry. It is estimated that AI will contribute close to $7.3 billion by the year 2022, but in terms of its adherence to sustainable fashion, some facts are at odds:

· The food demand will increase to 70% by the year 2050, but 30% of the food is being wasted today

· On an annual basis, 92 million tons of waste is being produced by the textile industries

· Only 20% of the electricity junk is being recycled while junk production has increased by 8% in the last couple of years

· By 2100, the waste value will rise to 11 million tons per day if the new approaches aren’t implemented for sustainability and environmental protection

These facts might be the hard pill to digest but are true to the extent that scientists are already looking for ways to increase the demand by three-fold. These resources are subjected to utilization by the year 2050, which as shown, are neither feasible nor sustainable.

Business & Sustainability

To enhance business performance, sustainability has always been a key player, and in terms of the consumer, they are looking for brands that adhere to the eco-friendly code of conduct in every stream. In the fashion world, sustainability is pretty spotty and has been recognized as one of the primary reasons for leaving a lousy footprint on the environment.

The common reasons include the finishes, dyes, and carbon emissions caused by clothing manufacturing and designing. Moreover, three-quarters of the waste produced by the fashion industry is adding to the global junk.

Creating Environmental Path For Friendly Fashion

The environmental footprint left behind the fashion industry is predicted to be removed by the implementation of artificial intelligence. For instance, we all are known to the fiasco created by Instagram fashion trends, and it’s safe to say that brands have overestimated customer demand. This overestimation resulted in the production of clothes that no one is available to buy, creating a path to the dumpster.

However, artificial intelligence can be used to analyze consumer behavior and devising the optimal number of clothes production. This not only keeps the hype in control but reduces the percentage of waste and overestimation. Moreover, AI can be used to deciphering the lifecycle of the piece of cloth, which helps in creating a sustainable supply chain efficiently. The sustainable supply chain covers designing, production, and distribution of the material along with manufacturing and logistics to deliver the end product to the consumer.

These supply chains offer a clear and transparent business model for the development of a trusting relationship with the customers. The implementation of artificial intelligence in the fashion world has resulted in maximizing the fashion potential of the industry while sticking to the sustained environment for the coming generation.

Ethical Code of Conduct

There have been outbursts and trespasses in the creative processes for the brands, and with the implementation of artificial intelligence infusion with blockchain, the processes can be made transparent. This transparency is a podium for reflecting originality. You must have heard your grandmother saying, ”oh! I had worn those frills too when I was your age,” and you are left surprised because you bought the latest dress off the fashion show. This is where plagiarism arises and creates tension for a certain brand.

By using artificial intelligence, its visionary tools, brands can check the viability and originality of the clothing designs and measure the uniqueness. With these results, brands can make sober changes in the designs instead of firing up the whole clothing line because of the copyright claims. Practically, this can save a lot of cloth being wasted, right?

Revolutionizing The Fashion World

Artificial intelligence is a digging way for the fashion industry in the streets of sustainability. It’s needless to say that business models are being revised from the core. The prime change is arising on the technological side because brands are opting for the advanced technologies that are portraying ethical standards and sets devised by a sustainable code of conduct.

The Bottom Line

Be it the manufacturing or design, logistics, or promotion, artificial intelligence is improving and adding value to the fashion world. We are hoping to watch the dawn of sustainable and intelligent fashion soon!