Independent designers spend most of their time on administrative tasks, factory logistics, and vendor coordination rather than designing clothes. Google’s Envisioning Studio, supported by Google Labs, worked to reduce friction in the creative workflow ahead of New York Fashion Week.
Engineers collaborated with designers Jane Wade and Sergio Hudson to build two specialised tools using Google Flow. Jane used the software to create balanced head-to-toe looks before producing physical samples. Sergio used his tool to stage his runway on a tight studio budget.
Virtually styling a collection
The Styling Suite tool mapped every facet of Jane’s runway model looks. In-person casting and fittings typically consume up to three full days for a design team. The software allowed her to curate hair, makeup, accessories, shoes, and garments on digital models, then play with the styling virtually. She was able to balance each look and identify missing elements before cutting and sewing additional pieces.
Grounding runway design in a real budget
Sergio’s main challenge was staging his show without breaking his budget. In the past, asking his production crew to change lighting and props added to the overall costs, since a new 3D rendering was needed for every design revision. The co-developed Google Flow tool, Runway Visualization, eliminated the back-and-forth by simulating his runway. It let him adjust the set-up of his venue and swap the lighting and props with options that worked within his budget. He was also able to refine which paths the models would walk, allowing him to harmonize the show and viewer experience.
Moving fashion AI out of pilot mode
The results of these collaborations were visible on the runways at New York Fashion Week. There is room for more innovation.
While there is plenty of excitement around AI in the fashion industry, many projects remain stuck in theoretical testing. AI can make the production process smoother for designers by co-developing tools that work within their existing processes and ensure they remain in control.
Users can build their own bespoke tools in Google Flow using natural language to describe the tool or workflow they are looking to create, with no coding experience required.
What it means
Designers can now test complete outfits and venue setups digitally before spending money on physical materials or production crews. This approach reduces the time spent on fittings and avoids costly revisions during the show setup.
