The next technological era has arrived.

Analysts and tech futurists tend to align in the belief that, like the internet and social media before it, artificial intelligence is poised to reshape operations across fashion companies. It isn’t just one or two departments it will touch; it’s all of them, as AI influences everything from how companies create and market their products to how they manage their workforces and interact with customers.

To adapt to this new moment, executives across fashion organisations must have a clear grasp of AI’s capabilities and how to apply them. But while many are aware of the latest AI buzzwords, too many are making decisions without fully understanding how the technology works, what it’s actually capable of and how it’s evolving for the future. Without these fundamentals, they’re making choices that can involve significant upfront costs without a clear understanding of return on investments. One 2025 study by an MIT-based initiative that looked at companies’ generative-AI projects found the vast majority were deriving no value from them.