Last week, we asked Chat GPT to predict what different designers might put on their upcoming Spring/Summer 2025 runways, and the comment section of our post on Instagram revealing its predictions wasn’t impressed. As one user put it, what Chat GPT came up with was “nothing new.. [because] it’s based on previous collections,” and they’re right. But what does that mean for the AI fashion designer?
Most people living in the digital age are aware that, whilst AI might seem all-powerful and omniscient, it actually gets all of its knowledge from existing sources available online, created by human beings. Knowing this, many people have argued that AI is incapable of ever actually being original; because how can it have an original thought when all of its ideas are rehashed from the internet?
The AI fashion design accounts that are popular on Instagram right now operate similarly to Chat GPT, given that the platform they use needs to be fed key terms (e.g. luxury, streetwear, etc.) to search the internet for. They then find images of real collections that the AI draws inspiration from and uses to create its own digital version. So basically, when you see a picture of AI-generated fashion, like the digitally made trainers or fake runway shows, it’s not entirely original: it’s an amalgamation of the AI’s source materials.
Despite what many people believe, the AI platform these accounts use doesn’t literally memorise and copy the exact appearance or dimensions of existing visuals. Instead, it uses a complex mathematical concept to generate new data though probability distributions, without copying. Despite this, AI art is ineligible for copyright registration, which implies that there are differences between the way that we as people take inspiration and the way that AI “takes inspiration.”
The argument that “AI-generated fashion can never be original” does have flaws, the main one being that human beings also take inspiration from existing sources. We build mood-boards, site references, and subconsciously take inspiration from everything around us when creating art. It’s arguably impossible not to. Back in 2020, designer Walter Van Beirendonck said “copying is nothing new. It’s part of fashion,” and whilst it’s frowned upon when done openly, taking inspiration is integral to all forms of art and design.
At Marni’s FW24 show, Creative Director Francesco Risso revealed that he had attempted to completely eradicate any kind of external inspiration, influence, and images when designing the collection. Many people believed this was in response to the backlash that occurred when artist @slxw_____ took to Instagram following Marni’s SS24 show to accuse the brand of stealing their work and passing it off as its own. Whilst the theft was never proven, Risso made a point of claiming FW24 was designed totally devoid of outside inspiration, to prove that he doesn’t rely on theft to create his collections.
But what Risso didn’t take into account is that eradicating all sources of inspiration is impossible, unless you have been sheltered from anything your entire life. Whilst you might not make the active decision to “copy” someone else’s work, as humans we are constantly taking subconscious notes of things we like and don’t like that exist in the world around us. Not making a moodboard won’t stop your brain from automatically pulling from the filing cabinet of sources it keeps for whenever it needs to get creative.
If we’re going to argue that AI fashion design accounts can’t ever produce original work because of how it’s made, we need to bring that same attitude to human-made designs. From Creative Directors referencing a House’s past collections to designers being inspired by the world and art around them, copying is a part of fashion that it couldn’t go without. Besides, didn’t someone once say that imitation is the highest form of flattery?
Featured image via @ai_clothingdaily ©
More on Culted
See: Jawara Alleyne is Lewis Hamilton‘s latest designer flex
See: Levi’s linked up with Kiko, we made art with Slawn & more good sh*t this week
Its like you read my mind You appear to know so much about this like you wrote the book in it or something I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit but other than that this is fantastic blog A great read Ill certainly be back