AI became more than a buzzword this year. From French company Heuritech accurately predicting runway trends to Zara’s AI-driven demand forecasting, algorithms began shaping what we wear long before it hit stores.
Its influence extended beyond logistics. American designer Norma Kamali trained an AI on her 57-year archive, while brands like H&M and Guess experimented with photorealistic campaign imagery. Concerns around bias, labour displacement and authorship soon followed, prompting early regulation like New York’s Fashion Workers Act.
For now, AI still feels supplementary rather than dominant. As Kamali notes, “AI doesn’t have a heartbeat. It can’t replace human passion.” But if 2025 was the year fashion got comfortable with algorithms behind the scenes, the years ahead will likely see them move closer to the spotlight.