Fashion, Art, Design, and AI
- ai blog
- March 19, 2024
Joel Kowalewski, PhD
Fashion reflects far deeper biological and sociological factors, and a great deal can be gleaned about human nature through a history of fashion. My interest in writing about the topic originates from a love of art and design but equally, although it may seem contradictory, a love of science and math. However, for many, the contradiction is increasingly non-existent. More so than other eras, ours is witnessing unprecedented changes in the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI can now emulate human abilities—in writing, art, music and video production, fashion and design—once thought impossible. This article explores some key moments and influences in the history of fashion, tracing the development of certain garments and trends that have left a lasting impact on the way we dress today. My hope is to convey the inevitable dominance of AI tools in the arts, particularly. I say this, of course, out of deep respect for a field that many mistakenly — citing “right brain” and “left brain” tendencies – have hidden from science. For better or worse, AI, but also technology in general, is fiercely destructive. The walls we have built will inevitably come down. Science always was art. Art was always science. Let’s take a tour of fashion and discover this firsthand.
Article Summary
There is a deep connection between fashion, science, and technology; the evolution of fashion reflects broader societal, technological, and scientific advancements. Modern AI technologies are not just shaping the future of fashion but are indicative of the merging paths between creative arts and scientific innovation.
To understand this trend better, the article provides an overview of fashion’s evolution, from its functional origins in ancient civilizations to its role as a symbol of status, profession, and affiliation in societies. It highlights significant periods like the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the 20th century, detailing how each era influenced fashion trends and social norms.
From the rise of Hollywood to the advent of the internet and social media, we learn that technology has historically shaped and accelerated fashion trends. Technology has made fashion more accessible, influencing public fashion choices, and online platforms have greatly accelerated and manufactured the trend cycle anew.
The article speculates on the transformative potential of AI in fashion, suggesting it could lead to more accurate trend prediction, personalized fashion based on individual preferences, and sustainable practices through optimized supply chains and new material technologies. AI is portrayed as a tool that could democratize fashion design and creativity, making everyone their own designer.
Finally, we approach the broader implications of AI’s rise for the arts and creative fields, concluding that AI, while often seen as a threat to traditional roles and craftsmanship, could in fact enhance human creativity, offering new ways to explore artistic expression and potentially saving certain aspects of the arts from obsolescence.
The Evolution of Fashion
The story of fashion begins in ancient civilizations where clothing was first and foremost functional, designed to protect from the elements and for modesty. However, even in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, fashion began to take on a symbolic role, with garments and accessories indicating status, profession, and affiliation.
During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, clothing became more elaborate and differentiated by social class. Sumptuary laws were introduced in Europe to regulate the colors, fabrics, and types of clothing that could be worn by different classes. These laws not only enforced social hierarchy but also influenced the development of distinctive styles for the elite.
The Industrial Revolution brought significant changes to fashion, making clothing more affordable and accessible. This period saw the rise of the men’s three-piece suit, which has remained a staple in men’s fashion.
The 20th century witnessed the democratization of fashion, with ready-to-wear clothing becoming increasingly available. Significant events like World War I and II had a profound impact on fashion. For example, the practicality required during these times led to women adopting trousers for work, which was a radical shift from the skirts and dresses that were previously the norm.
The Jazz Age of the 1920s introduced the flapper dress, symbolizing women’s liberation and the rejection of traditional norms. The 1960s and 70s saw the rise of youth culture, with fashion becoming a form of rebellion and expression. This era brought miniskirts, bell-bottoms, and the popularization of unisex clothing, challenging traditional gender norms in fashion, and this trend continues. Yet much of what appears as an emerging “woke” or “enlightened” society also obscures the fact that many modern, gendered garments and accessories were flexibly worn.
Take for example the men’s tie. Originating from Croatian mercenaries in the 17th century, the tie has evolved from a simple scarf to a staple of formal wear. Increasingly, an open collar look is preferred by men, but the scarf is making a resurgence.
We can also look to the Fedora. Initially a women’s fashion accessory in the late 19th century, it became a men’s hat symbolizing rugged masculinity in the early 20th century. A similar gender-bending factoid is seen in the history of high heeled shoes. Interestingly, the high-heeled shoe, now considered a staple of women’s fashion, was initially designed for men in the 17th century as a riding shoe. Later, it was worn by both men and women of the 17th century, symbolizing status and wealth. In the lead up to the French Revolution, conspicuous status symbols promoted an image of opulence, and, admittedly, I’m speculating here, made heeled shoes “uncool” until their eventual resurgence as a symbol of female empowerment and status, distinct from but clearly related to their popularity among 17th century aristocrats.
Fashion is more than just clothing; it reflects cultural shifts, historical events, and societal norms. From ancient times to the modern era, the evolution of fashion demonstrates humanity’s desire for expression, status, and belonging. I would argue that throughout time these are actually extensions of technology. That is, historical events and societal norms don’t exist in a vacuum. There are deeper causes, causes that I think are ultimately driven by science and technology. Sure, historical events arise, revolutions happen — fashion trends are in, then they are out, and, suddenly, they are in again with at least some link to social movements — but to stop our analysis at society or culture (the hearts and minds, so to speak) would be premature. To be fair, we should ask what crafts the hearts and minds of humanity in the first place? And that, I’ve suggested, is science and technology.
It would seem appropriate, then, given the unprecedented rise of AI, to ask where are the arts going. What does fashion – that historical window into our society, culture, and beliefs — reveal about us as we move into the future? Before getting into a speculative future, let’s explore some examples of the influence of technology in fashion, historically. After all, I just made the claim that the most important factor in human behavior and history is not the stuff of whimsy and chance. We have gone and will continue to go down roads (figurative and literal) that science and technology create. Since we don’t have access to a favorable vantage point—high up, looking ahead at the twists and turns in the road ahead—we must go back to where we’ve been, the history.
17th Century Trendsetter
The heeled shoe would later dominate women’s fashion. This artistic rendering (above) of a heeled shoe for men might have been worn among the affluent in 17th century Europe.
A History in the Fabric
From left to right the dresses in the image represent a progression of styles from different eras of 20th-century fashion:
The first dress on the far left, with its long length and decorative neckline, suggests the conservative styles of the 1910s, possibly moving into the early 1920s; the second dress, a short flapper dress is iconic of the 1920s; the third dress resembles the late 1920s to early 1930s, as hemlines began to drop after the flapper era; the eighth dress is evocative of the youthful and rebellious styles of the 1960s; the later dresses are emblematic of the 1970s disco fashion with some characteristics of the 1980s, bold shoulders, shiny, form-fitting fabrics.
Technology as the force that drives human behavior (and fashion)
Section Highlights
- Entertainment technology, tv, radio, and movies led to a “Hollywood” culture; a culture that flaunts fiction, the unobtainable, as if it were real and obtainable (it’s right there in front of you, live it vicariously). But it must be a convincing illusion to work. Technology’s Effect: People want to dress like the celebrities, turning high fashion garments (e.g. couture) into economical and high-volume reproductions. In a world of illusions, the illusions become real.
- Manufacturing costs historically made garments more desirable; a rare or unique item is a powerful signal. Technology’s Effect: Technology progressively reduces costs. Conspicuous status symbols become more nuanced. For example, the “I can dress down for every occasion look” because I can” that is common among tech elites.
- Conclusion: A resurgence of fashion trends from the past in the present day may not directly reflect social factors, world events or nostalgia for another time, but a demonstration of having access to information about these styles. Hence, a person may be an apt technologists—Influencers from TikTok or Instagram. They possess a degree of “digital currency” in being vintage or trendy—implying they are connected, have many followers, etc. They are in the “digital know,” and this is the power to build and destroy worlds; to create fictions more convincingly than the Hollywood celebrity or the movie ever could. But that world diminishes the necessity of a human touch. A machine (AI) will always possess more digital currency, more knowledge, and the AI is cheaper, steadily removing the need for a human.
Technology and scientific achievements have been significant drivers in shaping fashion trends, influencing not just the creation and distribution of clothing but also how styles are perceived and valued in society. Here’s a deeper look into how technology has influenced some fashion trends:
The advent of cinema in the early 20th century and the subsequent rise of Hollywood created a new type of celebrity culture. With the golden age of Hollywood, actors and actresses became style icons, and their on-screen outfits influenced public fashion choices. Television and film have since continued to set trends, with contemporary streaming services now serving this role, showcasing period dramas and other genre content that bring historical fashion back into the limelight.
The Industrial Revolution also had a profound impact on clothing manufacturing, making fashion more accessible. However, as manufacturing costs rose, and as fast fashion became more prevalent, there became a dichotomy in fashion between mass-produced clothing and high-end designer garments. The rarity and craftsmanship of certain garments became a status symbol amongst the elite, echoing past eras where handmade clothing was a sign of wealth.
However, this underwent changes with the digital revolution, particularly the advent of the internet and smartphones, giving rise to unprecedented access to information. This democratization of knowledge has allowed individuals to research and rediscover historical fashion, leading to revivals not necessarily out of nostalgia but as a display of cultural capital. For example, the resurgence of 1920s flapper dresses or 1980s power suits can be tied to their representation in digital media, informing and inspiring new generations.
Importantly, online shopping and social media platforms have not only made fashion more accessible but have also sped up the trend cycle. The immediate sharing of styles on platforms like Instagram can make a trend global overnight. The trends is however not always based on aesthetic appreciation or artistry or a genuine appreciation, but the selling of a brand, lifestyle, or experience; the clothing is just a way to communicate this. Paid influencers and trendsetters can disseminate new styles rapidly, and through algorithms, these platforms suggest content based on user preference, further reinforcing trends, driven not by the users per se but the corporate advertising campaign that crafted the narrative or wrote the screenplay, so to speak.
These examples outline the role of technology in shaping fashion. If we look closely, however, as much as technology has driven change — some of which has certainly been positive – the changes are complex. On the one hand, the fall of handmade, thoughtful, or high-cost, artisanal garments suggests a positive shift toward democratization and accessibility, yet there has been a rise in automation as well. It would appear that the designer (and their designs) has negligible influence when technology began to take hold more recently; an era that has seen the human become, at best, the advertiser—the seller of a brand or lifestyle.
But isn’t this vulnerable to automation too? Imagine a future world where we wouldn’t need to rely on the pre-packaged Hollywood blockbuster or an Instagram model to bolster sales. Invent the person, invent the lifestyle, invent the story, invent the movie—for the sole purpose of selling a jacket or brand. This has been done for some time with toys, notably, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; the manufacturer created the cartoon alongside the toy. Does a cartoon, developed on those terms, need to be produced by a human? I don’t think so. Taken together, technological influences throughout fashion, design, and the arts are perhaps less optimistic than it might seem.
As our discussion moves to artificial intelligence (AI), it might seem that much more alarming. I don’t see it that way. True, AI is an unprecedented technological development, and, yes, technology – predating AI – has driven automation. We got into this above. However, AI is truly unprecedented. This means, contrary to the mechanizing trends of the traditional technologies we’ve looked at, AI might actually save us—as strange as it sounds. I’ll get into this in the final section.
Technology Takes Away But Is AI Different?
Throughout this article I have suggested science and technology are not distinct from the arts –fashion, and design etc. — and I have gone as far as saying they are identical. The only dispute, much like the famous “what came first, the chicken or egg?” problem, is if humans are artists, and the scientist is a type of artist, or the opposite is true.
Personally, I side with the artist because it is the more foundational of the two; the artist or designer is interested in meaning, as is the scientist, but it is a vague pursuit. The scientist uses explicit methods to define that meaning and this gives the impression that there is a goal and well-defined path to it. And there likely is. But this results in a loss of some freedom. We (professional scientists) remain ignorant of the truths that fall outside our method of questioning in science. Though there may be a path, are there others? It isn’t clear.
The choice, then, seems to be between a non-existent (quasi) path for the artist or designer and a well-defined but lesser one for the scientist. But this is somewhat misguided because it belittles the artist, defined not by the goal but the pure pursuit of the questions. Science without that very human drive – that pure pursuit – is, however, not the science of our imaginations. When we think about the image that drives people to science, it is actually the artistic spark at play. It is, in other words, the desire to be a different kind of artist that makes science work.
With the rise of AI, society is positioned similarly but things appear to be reversed. Suddenly, it would seem that this “different kind of artist” is not the scientist (or aspiring scientists). It is increasingly a call to photographers, designers, illustrators, and painters.
A lot of classical art-based occupations are in flux—as I once was, at home among artists and creatives that were heading into these occupations, just as the beauty of the mathematical world would eventually pull me away. Although a scientist may be “a different kind of artist” – at least in the way most people think and may need to think — we must revise this thinking, concluding that the scientists actually is an artist and always was, even in a classical sense. We were simply not prepared to understand art and inherited divisions that are now unproductive.
As I write, it is, intriguingly, non-AI trends that have been diminishing the classical artist. Fashion, the topic of this article, contains clear examples, some of which I have already covered. We see a loss of authentic craftmanship in favor of mass produced, cheaper replicas (so to speak). In other words, fashion — a representation of something much bigger than “clothing” –suggests the illusion of human craftmanship is actually more important. Art is after all a means of communication. There is no strong attachment to the mode of communication (e.g. secularization is not a loss of religiosity per se but a discarding of restrictive modes of communicating a broad class of religious/spiritual thoughts and beliefs; the Sunday mass is today’s Instagram feed). Surprisingly, this is just the effect of good ol’ fashion technology (and economics), yet the state of affairs already sounds like dystopian science fiction.
So, it is that time; the time for the classical artist to become the scientist. Is science art? Is art science? Might AI, far from destroying everything, save us from our predicament? Let’s look at AI and fashion through a different lens.
In the final section, I’ll look into how I — a professional AI researcher and artist of some form — think about AI art, fashion, and design as we boldly move into the future.
Inviting the Machine In: A Case for AI
I first went into AI out of a respect for the complexity of scientific problems. As a Alzheimer’s and cancer researcher, I thought the existing methods (the way researchers were asking questions) ignored the complexity. To find a solution, everyone knows there must first be a problem. I didn’t think the problem was sufficiently realistic, so the prospective solutions were trivial, and they failed.
Today, we might not think, well, let’s go to the AI for assistance in building a richer, more realistic understanding. The media has portrayed AI as the forger or the fake, eerily simulating human behavior while failing to be authentic. It is an odd, popular view that reflects a general uneasiness, I think, around technology and automation rather than AI. Throughout this article, I have been emphasizing that an automating trend has been around for some time, and this has already diluted or mechanized some occupations (often called “white collar”) so that they are primed for automation. Automation clearly results in a loss of talent/ability. Humans are obviously better on some metrics; it’s just that those metrics have become increasingly irrelevant to the bottom line. Advanced GenAI algorithms enter, and the uneasiness is up.
Instead, I want to argue that, yes, AI does reveal reality too—as difficult as it might be to accept. Take for example concepts in modern physics, a field where familiar objects are not what they seem. If we had a hypothetical, super magnifying glass, capable of resolving the world at smaller and smaller scales, we would ultimately discover math—that the world of stuff is, at bedrock, a world of possibilities (statistics/probability). Accordingly, the physical world only makes sense through computers that can simulate these possibilities. Why should this not apply to all scales? Why can’t AI reveal reality in this way? The answer is obvious to me. It can.
AI can an analyze vast amounts of data to predict trends more accurately than ever before. It could also generate new fashion designs by learning from a database of historical fashion data, effectively creating styles that are both novel and deeply informed by past trends. We may see AI as a collaborative tool for designers, offering them new patterns and silhouettes that haven’t been seen before, or as an independent designer in its own right, challenging human creativity.
AI could also enable a level of personalization in fashion that goes beyond simple tailoring, using algorithms to design clothing based on personal style preferences, body shape, patterns, and even emotional states. This could spell the end of “one size fits all” trends, as fashion becomes increasingly individualized, which tends to counter the negative, automating forces that currently act behind the scenes. Everyone becomes their own designer—discarding the narrowly defined identities and categories and target audiences.
AI’s predictive capabilities already optimize supply chains, reducing waste and ensuring that production meets demand more accurately. In addition, AI-driven robotics and new materials technology may produce clothing with minimal environmental impact, pushing fashion towards a more sustainable future that can focus more on creativity.
Lastly, and this is in part exploitable and could be a negative, fashion is ultimately about experience. Clothes are symbols that communicate experience, and that has, alongside social media, promoted illusions—the supposed friend is a salesperson, the couple isn’t a couple; only their clothes are real, and the clothes could be yours. We could however leverage experience more positively and creatively. AI could help design immersive technologies, fashion shows that are virtual, transporting, and interactive—allowing people from around the world to participate.
Additional Reading
Fashion History Timeline: A Project by FIT. Fashion Institute of Technology.
Steele, Valerie. “Fashion and Eroticism: Ideals of Feminine Beauty from the Victorian Era to the Jazz Age”. Oxford University Press.
Breward, Christopher. “The Culture of Fashion: A New History of Fashionable Dress”. Manchester University Press.
