Apparel could be designed by computers in upcoming years.
StitchFix, a San Francisco-based subscription box e-tailer, already uses vast amounts of consumer data to determine what it should send its subscribers each month. Now, the company is incorporating AI to develop the clothes themselves, The Wall Street Journal reported.
With computers, StitchFix can study purchasing behavior and determine what styles are popular among its diverse shopper demographic. Once data is collected, software recombines favorite cuts, prints and sleeve-types to create new garments.
AI enabled StitchFix to create three new tops last year, including a coral sleeveless blouse with a spit neckline. This unique garment would normally take a longer production process, but with the help of AI, StitchFix can streamline apparel manufacturing and continue fulfilling consumer style demands.
Last month, StitchFix also sold nine more apparel items, including tops and dresses, designed by AI. StitchFix plans to carry out more of these “hybrid designs” this year, as part of its ongoing efforts to incorporate software in the fashion industry.
(Related on SJ: Skip the Front Row. Watson is Fashion’s Latest Trend Forecaster.)