BCG -以人工智能为先的时尚公司 The AI-First Fashion Company

BCG

FASHIONINDUSTRY

TheAI-FirstFashionCompany

By

SebastianBak

,RoelantKalthof,andBeccaSchwartz

ARTICLEDECEMBER04,20255MINREAD

Thisarticleand

theaccompanyingslidedeck

arepartofaseriesexploringhowcompaniesinspecificindustriescanadoptthemindset,expertise,andambitionrequiredtowininanAI-firstworld.Forasimilarperspectiveondepartmentstores,see

TheAI-FirstRetailCompany.

AIisreshapinghowthefashionandluxuryindustrydevelopsproductsandconnectswith

consumers.Inanindustrybuiltoncreativityandbrandidentity,AIisbecomingacatalystforboth.

ThemostsuccessfulbrandswilluseAItoamplifytheirstrengths,notjustautomatethem.ThebestwayforthemtodothatistobecomeAI-firstbymakingAIandagentscentraltohowtheyoperatetheirbusinesses.

©2025BostonConsultingGroup1

©2025BostonConsultingGroup2

WhyNow?

FourconvergingforcesarecreatingmomentumandurgencyforfashiontogoAI-first.

ConsumersarealreadyshoppingwithAI.Nearlytwo-thirdsofUSconsumershaveusedAItoolswhentheyshop.Theyusevirtualstylists,personalizedrecommendations,anddigitaldressing

roomstoshapewhattheybuy.AsAIplatformsbecomethefrontdoortodiscovery,fashionandluxurybrandsmustfindwaystoremainvisible,relevant,anddistinctive.

Technologyisenterprise-ready.AImodelsarefaster,cheaper,andmorecapablethanever.For

fashionbrands,thesetoolscangeneratedesigns,recommendfabrics,predictdemand,andsupportclienteling.

Competitorsareinvestingaggressively.Aeraslowstart,fashioncompaniesareplayingcatchup.TheretailandfashionindustryhasmovedintothetopthreeindustriesincreasingtheirAI

spending.

Talentisscarce.FortypercentofmajorretailandfashioncompanieshaveappointedseniorAI

executives.Slowmoverswillstruggletofindleaderswhocanorchestrateteamsofdesigners,datascientists,anddigitalagents.

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What’sNext

AIisrewritingbothsidesoffashion:howconsumersexperiencebrandsandhowcompaniesoperate.

External:AIRedefinestheConsumerExperience

AIplatformslikeChatGPT,Google’sAIMode,andPerplexityrecommendproductsandallow

consumerstobuygoodsdirectly.NearlyhalfofconsumersalreadytrustAI-drivensuggestionsmorethanrecommendationsfromfriends.

©2025BostonConsultingGroup3

Fashionbrandsfaceastrategicchoiceinhowtoengagewiththesenewchannels.Willtheyplaythedestination,evaluation,orhybridgame?

TheDestinationGame.Somecompaniescanconvinceconsumerstoshopdirectlythroughtheirownchannels,sidesteppingAIplatformstoprotecttheirbrandandmargins.Theywinon

uniqueness:emotionalconnection,distinctivedesign,andiconicexperiences.Hermès,for

example,staysofffashionmarketplacesandreliesoncrasmanshiptodrawconsumerstotheirownchannels.

TheEvaluationGame.OtherswillintegratewithAIplatformstogainreach.Toberecommendedbydigitalshoppingagents,thesebrandsmustwinonutility:byofferingthebestproductfit,fastestdelivery,orbestpriceforagivenneed.Hanes,forexample,sellsonAmazontoexpanditsreach

andattractbrand-agnosticconsumers.

TheHybridGame.Brandscanblendbothstrategies—meetingconsumersonAIplatformswhileconvertingthemtoownedchannels.Theymustdecidewhichproducts,promotions,and

experiencestoputonAIplatformsandwhichtokeepexclusivetotheirownchannel.Nike,forexample,sellsbasicbutnotpremiumshoesonAmazon.

Regardlessofthemodel,visibilityonAIplatformswillbeessential.Leadingbrandsarealreadyinvestingin

answerengineoptimization

sothatchatbotsandvirtualadvisorscanunderstand,trust,andrecommendtheircollections.

Internal:AIAgentsAreTransformingFunctions

AgentsandAIaretransformingfunctionsacrossfashion—frommerchandisingandsupplychaintomarketingandstoreoperations.BrandslikeTiffany&CosupportclientelingwithAI-generated

consumersummariesandrecommendations,whileWalmart’sfashiondivisionusesAItosensetrendsandcutproductiontimebyupto18weeks.

AI-firstfashionbrandsdon’tjustautomatetasks;theyorchestratedecisions.ThedesignerofthefuturewillleadateamofAIagents:oneforecastingtrends,anothergeneratingdesignvariations,anothersimulatingfabricsandfits,andoneoptimizingassortmentandpricing.Theresult:fastercreationcycles,moreresponsivecollections,andlesswaste.

Inthisagenticworld,fashionandluxurycompanieswillhavetoguardagainstproductsacquiring

thesame“AIlook”orbrandslosingtheircachet.Theriskisn’tautomationbuthomogenization,

reproducingthesamedesignsoverandover.Brandsshouldensurehumancrasmanshipremainscentral,whileconnectingAItotheiruniqueconsumerdataandinsights.

©2025BostonConsultingGroup4

HowtoBecomeAI-First

BecomingAI-firstisn’tjustaboutbuildingAI;it’sabouttransforminghowworkgetsdone.Mosttransformationsfallshort.FashionandluxurycompaniescanimprovetheiroddsbyfocusingonthreemovesdrawnfromearlyAIleaders.

Rewiretheoperatingmodel.

AIagents

allowteamstomakefaster,moreinformedcreativeandcommercialdecisions.Organizationscanmovefromsiloedhierarchiestocross-functional,flatterteams.Designers,technologists,anddataexpertscancollaborateinrealtimeacrossdesign,

merchandising,andmarketing.

Changeleadershipbehaviors.AItransformationsaremorelikelytosucceedwhentheyareledfromthetop.ExecutivesmustmakeAIastrategicprioritybyshowingthroughtheirwordsand

actionsthatitisessentialtothebrand’sfuture.Leadersshouldfocusonafewhigh-valuebetsatatimeandtracktangibleoutcomes.Theyunderstandthatsuccessdependsonpeopleandchangemanagement—

about70%oftheeffort

—notjusttechnology.

Redirecttechnologyspend.LeadingcompaniesareusingAItoautomatemanualtaskssuchas

reporting,documentation,andcontractaudits.TheyreinvestthosesavingsintoAIenablers:higher-qualitydata(thenewfabricoffashion)andscalableAIinfrastructure.Thegoalisnottospend

morebutsmarter.

FashionisenteringanerawhenAIreshapesbothimaginationandexecution.TheAI-firstfashioncompanywillmeetconsumersnotonlyinstoresoronwebsitesbutinsideAIplatforms—while

runningfaster,moreadaptive,andmorecreativeorganizationsbehindthescenes.

©2025BostonConsultingGroup5

RoelantKalthof

ManagingDirector&Partner

SiliconValley-BayArea

Authors

SebastianBak

ManagingDirector&Partner

LosAngeles

BeccaSchwartz

Principal

Seattle

ABOUTBOSTONCONSULTINGGROUP

BostonConsultingGrouppartnerswithleadersinbusinessandsocietytotackletheirmost

importantchallengesandcapturetheirgreatestopportunities.BCGwasthepioneerinbusinessstrategywhenitwasfoundedin1963.Today,weworkcloselywithclientstoembracea

transformationalapproachaimedatbenefitingallstakeholders—empoweringorganizatio