As designers, buyers, editors, and other industry stakeholders come together for New York Fashion Week to preview what’s next for the sector, AI is emerging as a powerful creative and commercial force. “AI is shifting from a competitive edge to a business necessity,” write Anita Balchandani, David Barrelet, Felix Rölkens, Gemma D’Auria, and coauthors in “The State of Fashion 2026: When the rules change.”
Across the industry, brands are deploying AI in online customer service, image and content creation, consumer search, and product discovery, while shoppers are increasingly turning to large language models to compare offerings and receive tailored recommendations. Together, these shifts signal a new operating reality for fashion, with automation and AI agents becoming core to how the industry creates value. Explore these insights to understand what’s ahead for the next “season” of fashion.
The State of Fashion 2026: When the rules change
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