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The Business of Fashion Podcast

The Business of Fashion Podcast

Has Fashion Had Enough of AI?

Sep 9, 2026 · 19m

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About this episode

For many shoppers, fashion is now experienced primarily through a screen — discovered on social media, watched on runway livestreams and purchased from a product photo. Fashion critic Eugene Rabkin argues in his new book that this shift has left the industry prioritising a garment's image over the garment itself, hollowing out creativity and quality along the way. At the same time, as AI generated imagery floods the feed, a counter-movement is emerging: luxury brands are commissioning painters and illustrators, hosting phone-free dinners and building hands-on experiences designed to pull customers back into the physical world. In this episode, senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young is…