AI, Shein, Fast Fashion and Trends

[TheLeadbetterLife]

I've been musing on AI and Shein / Temu, after reading the thread about the sardine dresses. Obviously the business model of the Chinese drop shippers is to use AI to scan for what's trending in high fashion and then churn out dupes as fast as possible.

For high fashion, I suppose this is a problem in as much as a trend isn't around for long enough for anyone to realise or care that you've got the original, expensive version, not the Shein copy - we've all moved on, love.

I wonder what this will do to fashion? The pattern in the last decade has been for faster and faster turnover of trends, "in" colours and patterns, but I think there's an argument for this peaking and reversing.

I have a theory that AI will trigger a creative boom in reaction. A bit like how photography didn't kill art, it produced the impressionists. Humans will respond by doing something the technology can't do, because humans are relentlessly creative.

In fashion, what might this look like? I would love to see a return of the DIY, playful, repurposing of the 80s and 90s, but this may be because I watched Pretty In Pink the other day. And obviously the fashion houses don't want DIY either, so they'll have to come up with something people will pay for.

Temu and shein are the devils fashion and need to be banned

Well, agreed, but they can't really be banned, and that wasn't my question. I'm interested in people's thoughts on where AI will change the fashion industry and the way people express themselves through fashion.

My theory is when it's all too easy and cheap to copy trends, the trends themselves will change in nature, because humans like to be creative. There's no self-expression when you're wearing a photocopy.

Definitely already happening - I follow a subreddit where people have purchased something seen in an AI image and the actual product is a dreadful Temu knock-off, and the amount of people posting who are shocked at the poor quality of what they’ve received is laughable. I genuinely don’t understand how they could have thought the image they saw was of a real product.

thinking about mid to high fashion specifically, quality and luxury will win out. We are getting to the point that cheap products are so bad that even those without much money are being choosier where possible.

I've noticed a focus on traditional techniques, provenance of materials etc. Like designs that are fitted to a model's body that can only be handknit using e.g. gansey techniques.
People were making fun of Tom daley's outfits on game of wool but that kind of thing too.

Yes, so couture basically. Wouldn't it be lovely if, at the mid-range and above, this led to a resurgence in local dressmakers? There's an old-fashioned dressmaker's shop in my village actually, to date I've only used her ironing and alterations service, plus some slip covers for my armchairs, but maybe I should have a garment made.

I expect that Shein will eventually see the death of high fashion with logos on it - if you can't tell whether it's fake, or it looks fake / tacky by association even if it's genuine, what's the point?

It's interesting to think about it. I understand that in the 50s and 60s, designers responded to the rise of mass manufactured clothing by patenting their own sewing patterns, so this certainly isn't the first time the industry has had to react to change.

I think it would be great if it led to a resurgence of individuality and traditional sewing and crafting but - and sorry to put a downer on things - I also wonder whether the conditions exist any more for that to happen. Are children taught to sew now? I don't think so, plus where I live, the only place where you can buy decent haberdashery is a charity shop. So while it might flourish as a niche, hipsterish activity, I have my doubts about it ever becoming mainstream again, however popular Sewing Bee might be. But I hope I'm wrong and yes there might be gaps in the market for enterprising dressmakers.

Yes it is a shame that skills have been lost. Both my mum and my nanna taught me to sew - none of us were / are particularly good at it, but I learned enough to make repairs and basic alterations, as well as cobble together costumes for plays and sometimes make my own clothes. As a teen in the 90s there was still a lot of DIY going on, out of necessity (didn't have the money to buy new). Many of us used to get things from charity shops or the army surplus and then customise them. But it was a bit alternative, even then, and I was probably in a slight minority being taught to sew.

The only reason I use the dressmaker for alterations and things now is that I get frustrated with myself for being such a klutz, and what starts out as a fun project inevitably ends with me screaming at the sewing machine. I don't have the patience or fine motor skills to get really good at it. I do love design though, I'm always coming up with ideas.

I think there’s a real gap in the market for mid range so fairly priced well made and fairly produced clothes. I think there used to be more of this but private equity has ruined most of them. I’d buy classic styles, look after them and hold on to them.

Even items I’ve put away as I’ve not fitted into them are so much better made than things available in most higher priced shops. For example, woollen lined Monsoon trousers from around 15 years ago that would have been bought in a sale at about £40, if I tried to get them now either in Monsoon, Jigsaw etc they would unlikely be lined and have synthetic fibres.

Yes I've just bought a Fenn Wright Mason cropped linen jacket in a charity shop and the quality's fantastic. At the moment it's in that nowhere land in between out of date and vintage but give it a few years.... Likewise some of Topshop in its early 2000s glory days is really well made.

Problem is that for many people - and I'm not having a pop at anyone here, we're in a cost of living crisis - 'mid range' = under £50.

I read an article somewhere that the incidences of vaginal issues have increased & people are beginning to think it's fast fashion materials and dyes.
And non breathable fabrics causing problems

This doesn't surprise me, I used to get thrush sometimes just from wearing tights all winter, even over cotton knickers. All these synthetic leggings, underwear and athleisure stuff that's around now must be like a petri dish. Thank god I live in a climate now where I don't need tights!

Brora still does woolen trousers with a lining but they're not cheap. They fit me really well though.

We were spoiled for a long time by cheap mass-produced things that were reasonable quality. It would cost me more than £50 to make most things from scratch. Harris tweed is £60 a metre. Yarn to knit with is about £40 - 80 for a jumper's worth or potentially more.

I go to scrap stores quite a bit for cheap fabric and yarn.