With only hours left before the calendar turns, this is a moment for reflection. As the world steps into a new year, one truth stands out with unmistakable clarity: 2025 was a defining chapter in fashion’s relationship with artificial intelligence. From the way we shop to how brands design, market and forecast, AI has quietly, and sometimes spectacularly, reshaped the fashion and beauty industries. Here, we trace the most compelling ways in which technology has stitched itself into the fabric of style.
The rise of intelligent fit
If there was one persistent pain point fashion set out to solve this year, it was fit. AI-powered body scanning and virtual try-on platforms surged, promising precision, confidence and fewer disappointing deliveries.
London-based fashion-tech start-up Fittora, launched in 2025, exemplifies this new era. Its made-to-order model uses proprietary computer-vision technology to deliver perfectly tailored garments—no fitting room required. From calculating accurate measurements using selfies to offering styling suggestions, Fittora marries convenience with craft. Even better, it does so sustainably, working exclusively with natural fabrics such as organic cotton, silk and fine wool, while ensuring zero waste.
Meanwhile, SpreeAI, founded by Naomi Campbell three years ago, continues to refine the virtual try-on experience. Shoppers simply select a garment, upload a photograph and instantly see a photorealistic preview of how the piece will look on their own body. The goal is clear: empower customers to make smarter choices and dramatically reduce returns.
This movement is redrawing how the world shops. AI-driven styling and fit recommendation platforms, alongside tools like Google’s virtual try-on and FitRoo, are delivering immersive, confidence-building experiences that benefit both shoppers and retailers alike.
Beauty decoded
AI’s influence extends well beyond wardrobes. In beauty, the year saw continued momentum around AI-powered skin diagnostics and personalised formulations, transforming how consumers discover and use products.
Launched in February, Bold Hue introduced a first-of-its-kind at-home smart device capable of analysing skin tone and generating millions of foundation shades in under a minute. The device dispenses a bespoke formula tailored precisely to the user, solving the age-old struggle of finding the “right” foundation shade.
On the retail front, Nykaa’s Skin Scan (via its app) brought AI-driven diagnostics to the mainstream. Using advanced camera tracking and deep-learning intelligence, the tool analyses skin tone, texture, hydration, ageing, dark spots and pores from a single selfie, delivering expert-level insights in seconds.
Professional-grade platforms followed suit. SmartSKN PRO combined dermoscopic-level skin analysis with AI-driven product formulation, offering up to 25,000 customisable formulations for hyper-personalised skincare. Haut.AI’s Face Analysis 3.0 also emerged as a standout, pushing advanced skin assessment further into the spotlight.
Shopping reimagined
Perhaps the most radical shift of all has been in product discovery. Large language models (LLMs) and AI chatbots are redefining how consumers search, compare and buy, often without ever leaving a chat interface.
In November, Perplexity launched its PayPal-powered “Instant Buy” shopping assistant. Earlier in the year, OpenAI rolled out shopping features within ChatGPT, followed by a dedicated shopping research tool and “Instant Checkout” later in September. Google, not to be outdone, unveiled its largest-ever upgrade to shopping in AI Mode, allowing users to search conversationally, asking for products as they would a friend, rather than wrestling with filters and keywords.
Behind the scenes, agentic AI is beginning to check local inventory, pricing and promotions on a user’s behalf. The result is a frictionless shopping, conducted entirely within LLM-powered platforms.
By replacing rigid search bars with dynamic, context-aware conversations, these systems offer hyper-personalised results and far fewer irrelevant suggestions. Brands are already reporting higher search-to-order conversion rates, proof that understanding intent matters more than matching keywords.
The new face of fashion campaigns
AI has also made its mark visually. Faced with rising production costs and tighter timelines, brands are increasingly turning to AI-generated imagery and digital models.
Stella McCartney’s Summer 2025 campaign, featuring AI-created birds, signalled a new creative frontier. Zara began using AI to digitally redress existing models, eliminating the need for reshoots, while H&M rolled out its much-discussed AI-powered “digital twins.” Mango and Etro also leaned heavily into AI-driven campaigns this year.
Beyond imagery, AI is now embedded across design, product development, supply chain management, personalisation and marketing. From Ralph Lauren’s “Ask Ralph” conversational shopping assistant to Alexander Wang’s use of AI-generated runway backdrops at New York Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2026, the message is unmistakable: technology is no longer backstage; it’s centre stage.
Predicting tomorrow based on now
Finally, AI is transforming how trends are spotted. Brands are now using machine learning to scan social media in real time, identifying emerging micro-trends and viral aesthetics before they peak. These insights are fed directly into design and merchandising decisions, allowing brands to move faster and smarter than traditional forecasting ever allowed.
In an industry built on anticipation, AI has become fashion’s most powerful crystal ball.
Picture courtesy: iSTOCK