We are talking about artificial intelligence, which is entering the realm of style ever more boldly, not as an auxiliary tool but as a co-creator and, at times, as the architect of a new aesthetic norm
This is no longer just about the virtual assistants we have grown used to in online shops — it is about a radical transformation of our ideas of beauty, style, the body and identity.
Artificial intelligence is already shaping fashion today — starting with the surface, with what every one of us can see: advertising campaigns, billboards, posters in shop windows, images on social media. Here we can see AI creating not just pictures but a new emotional infrastructure of consumption — through digital influencers and through algorithms that tell us what is “beautiful”, what is “on trend” and what is “worth our attention”. Even more interesting, though, is what happens out of sight: designers are already creating collections with the help of AI tools that let them model shapes, fabrics and combinations of styles. This is a deep technical collaboration between human and machine in the creative sphere.
But this collaboration is not neutral. AI personalises our shopping, steering us onto templated “shelves” where we are supposedly shown what we want, while in fact the very structure of our desire is being shaped. In this sense we are not merely consumers of fashion; we have already become test subjects, bio-subjects in an ecosystem of algorithms that constantly study us through our purchases, clicks and likes.
In Poland, the Big Star brand ran a jeans campaign built on an original idea: the models appear to stride through a big city. Rather than build a real set, which would have been too expensive, the brand turned to artificial intelligence: the models were filmed against a green screen, and a detailed virtual city was then created in special software, producing a fully immersive effect. Another example is a campaign by a different brand that used digital twins for the first time: two models sold the rights to their image, and the company can now use their appearance commercially without the models having to take part in the shoots.
And this brings us to a philosophical question: what does beauty mean in the age of algorithms? If beauty is a form of recognition, do we not risk losing the symbolic richness of human bodies, styles and gestures, flattened into a digital template of the “aesthetically acceptable”? Artificial intelligence, by its very nature, does not create — it combines, synthesises and blends what already exists. Its creativity is a layering of patterns, not a breakthrough into the new. If we leave it the exclusive right to define images of beauty, we risk locking the prejudices of the past into the future.
That is why fashion’s encounter with algorithms is not simply a market, not simply an industry: it is a battlefield for the imagination. This is where it is decided which body has the right to be visible, which face will be deemed worthy of representation, and which diversity will be preserved — or erased. And this struggle calls not only for technical reflection but for a philosophical vision: one that remembers the value of the bodily, the dignity of the unique, and beauty as a space of the ethical, not merely the visual.
The fashion industry has come a long way towards greater inclusivity — from models of different skin colours to the acceptance of different body types and gender identities. Over the past eight years there has been a real breakthrough in themes and imagery, showing that it is fine to be “different”. But in 2020 the pandemic brought fashion to a halt, and artificial intelligence moved to the fore instead. Its algorithms were trained on old archives dominated by traditional ideas of beauty: white, thin, flawless. Today the industry is trying to change these patterns, but the process is complex and very slow.
Today there are no clear laws governing the use of artificial intelligence in the visual sphere, including fashion and social media. Liability for plagiarism or the theft of a style remains blurred: it is unclear who is to blame — the developer or the user. Europe has only recently begun to discuss the problem seriously, and there is still no legal protection for artists and creators. Whether brands label AI content is up to them; there is no legal obligation. In this situation we need not only digital literacy but also a new legal and aesthetic philosophy, so that we do not risk losing the gains of a long cultural struggle and handing the future over to soulless algorithms.
Over the long term, AI is already proving effective: in 2022, for example, it predicted that leopard print would come back into fashion in 2024 — and the prediction came true. At the same time, AI is fundamentally incapable of grasping social and historical context, or of feeling the intuition and rebellion that matter so much in fashion. Even so, designers increasingly use it to save resources: systems forecast demand and prevent overproduction — in 2024 this meant that some 90 million garments never had to be made. That reduces waste and harm to the planet. But there is a risk: if design passes entirely to AI and people become mere curators of algorithms, fashion will lose its artistic essence.
Artificial intelligence is gradually becoming an inconspicuous but influential player in the world of fashion — both in design and in our everyday choices as consumers. Algorithms have already learned to adapt what they offer to the weather, to personalise recommendations and even to help us try on clothes and shoes virtually. This not only cuts the number of returns but also makes shopping more convenient and more environmentally friendly.
Yet along with the benefits come challenges. As we trust an algorithm’s decisions more and more, we risk gradually losing our subjective sense of style, the uniqueness of our choices and our spontaneity. Which raises the question: where is the line between convenience and the automation of our personal aesthetics?
Fashion is not only about functionality and precision; it is also about emotion, self-identification and freedom of expression. And although artificial intelligence can be a valuable assistant, it is important to remember that the choice of what to wear remains ours.
Dr. Myroslav Trofymuk
Born in Lviv. Designer, director, musician, researcher, founder of ZEMLA STUDIO. Master of classical philology and digital marketing, PhD in the history of Ukrainian literature. Member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine. Since 2022 he has authored the CENTRUM MUNDI audio show for Polish Radio for Ukraine, continuing the same research into the contemporary music scene in Ukraine and Poland.
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