Zalando Leverages Generative AI to Revolutionize Fashion Imagery and Cut Costs
European online fashion retailer Zalando is utilizing generative artificial intelligence (AI) to rapidly produce imagery for its app and website, capitalizing on the speed and cost-efficiency that AI brings to the fashion industry, as reported by Reuters.
By implementing AI technology, Zalando can react quickly to short-lived fashion trends that spread rapidly on social media, enabling it to stay ahead of the competition.
Matthias Haase, Zalando's vice president of content solutions, highlighted the company's focus on leveraging AI to create relevant and timely content. "We are using AI to be able to be reactive," Haase explained in an interview with Reuters. This shift towards AI-generated imagery allows the company to meet the increasing demand for fast-paced content production.
Faster Production and Cost Efficiency
Generative AI has significantly reduced the time and cost of creating fashion imagery. The process now takes just three to four days, compared to the six to eight weeks required for traditional shoots, with costs dropping by 90%.
According to Haase, this efficiency enables Zalando to create more content that resonates with customers, driving engagement and improving their experience on the platform. "It's not because of AI content that is better than human-created content, it is really about how new, how relevant it is to our customers," Haase added.
According to Reuters, in the fourth quarter of last year, 70% of Zalando's editorial campaign images were AI-generated, underscoring the company's growing reliance on this technology. AI-driven images helped illustrate key fashion trends for the year, such as "brat summer," "mob wife," and "double denim," proving that generative AI is becoming a key tool for fashion marketing.
AI-Generated Digital Twins for Marketing
Zalando is also exploring AI-generated "digital twins" of models, allowing the company to feature a 3D replica of a model in its marketing materials.
This eliminates the need for hundreds of photoshoots, providing a cost-effective and efficient way to showcase products in its app. This move follows a trend set by Swedish retailer H&M, which has also collaborated with a modeling agency to create digital twins.
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Impact on Creative Jobs
While AI is transforming the fashion industry, Haase emphasized that traditional fashion photography will still be required. However, he believes that AI tools will augment the work of creative professionals "Creative people fear that AI makes creatives redundant," Haase said, but added, "I don't see that at all, to be honest... I see it rather that creative minds have now, instead of two hands, six hands." This perspective suggests that AI will empower creatives rather than replace them, offering new opportunities for innovation in the fashion sector.
