In Hong Kong, more than 80 “alien-like” outfits walked the runway partially designed by artificial intelligence.
The show, named “Fashion X AI,” debuted on December 19 and was a collaboration between 14 designers and AiDA or “AI-based Interactive Design Assistant.”
International designers of the first AI fashion show included Besfxxk, INJURY, The World Is Your Oyster, Mountain Yam, Kay Kwok, and Fengyi Tan.
The clothes featured unusual silhouettes. In many outfits, a circle, square, or triangle would protrude from the model.
Moreover, some models were masked in spandex suits from head to toe. Fashion critic and attendee Cynthia Tse described deconstructed designs and nondescript faces as the future of fashion.
“I think the face covering is definitely alien-like and exciting,” said Tse.
AiDA was created by PhD students and academics at AiDLab, a Hong Kong-based research institute that focuses on efficiently creating sustainable and ergonomic design.
To use AiDA, designers first input sketches, visual mood boards, fabric, and textures. Then, AiDA uses an algorithm to create nearly a dozen fashion templates in just 10 seconds, which can later be tweaked to the designer’s preference.
At the event, Kim Wong, CEO of Code-Create said, “AiDA is transforming … how we fashion and retail new designs.” By automating part of the design process, AiDA has the potential to save more than 60% of time spent on design inspiration, he continued.
Mountain Yam, a Hong Kong fashion designer, described working with AiDA as “comparable to a romantic relationship.”
Through machine learning, AiDA learned Yam’s sense of style, anticipated his designs, and proposed “something to me that I may have not ever considered.”
AiDA remains a “supporting tool” for designers, said AiDLab CEO Calvin Wong. “Designers and AI can work together to come up with the final collection.” However, designers have the final say.
For the moment, AiDA is available online in both Europe and Asia Pacific. Already, the design tool is a prerequisite for a bachelor’s degree in fashion and textiles at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Fashion designer Yulia Tlili hopes that as people learn to use AiDA, the designs will push the envelope further.
“I think AI is full of possibility, and it’s really an amazing opportunity for the students and for the professors to really collaborate with this really interesting field,” said Tlili.