What is going on in the world of fashion?
AI pushing itself into the fashion industry more and more, Shein opening in-person stores, Greenpeace reports on the “Greenwashing Danger Zone” and Vogue finally goes Braille. Welcome to our latest blog post about the most recent stories that are going on in the world of fashion.
AI meets fashion. Pixyle.ai is an AI label fashion picker which can turn your product images into categorised data, improving catalogue management efficiency and analytics. Giving it an item of clothing, it can detect the neckline type, sleeve length, sleeve type, the fit, colours, patter, style and more! The applications of this AI is vast and the more it is trained, the more clothes it can accurately pick out and categorise. As online retail grows, this could help with the fashion resale market, allowing for accurate descriptions to be created.
Next up, Greenpeace published a report about something tagged the “Greenwashing Danger Zone”. Clothing production has doubled from 2000 to 2014 and the fast fashion trend continues to grow. The report Greenpeace published looked into what brands are doing and if their “sustainability” plans are actually as they seem. Being environmentally friendly and sustainable is topical at the moment, and even though we hope it is not a trend, that instead it is here to stay, some brands are leaning into it as a marketing ploy, drawing consumers in. This report states that a recent screening of sustainability claims across companies in the textile, garment and shoe industry showed that 39% could be false, AKA Greenwashing. Dishonourable mention must go to H&M and their Conscious Collection, that is not even conscious.
Shein officially opens its doors in the UK, but is it really worth the hype? The hyper fast fashion giant has dominated the fashion industry and has become known for its online presence, quick delivery and low quality fashion. Consumers are loving Shein because the latest trends appear on its site almost instantaneously, meaning they can keep on trend in an easy and cheap way. Having retail stores only encourages their consumers, but there are slight silver linings… Being able to try clothes on before you buy will hopefully reduce the amount of returns they have and will also make consumers buy items that they are more likely to love and that fit them well, not just from what they can see on the model online.
Vogue, the most well known fashion magazine world wide, has proved to other magazines that inclusivity is achievable, but there is still a long way to go. Publishing a braille version on Vogue has given those with eyesight difficulties the chance to engage in the world of fashion and its stories without relying on external sources. Available in braille and audio versions, this collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People is leading the way for other fashion magazines.
Some good news, some bad news but definitely thought provoking at showing that circularity, inclusivity and sustainability are continuing to fight for a more circular fashion industry.