When couture meets computing, the catwalk becomes a circuit board of style.
There’s a lot happening in Paris this year. From hosting the 2024 Olympics to its iconic Paris Fashion Week, AI and tech innovation have been central to these global events. Typically held twice a year—the Fall/Winter and the Spring/Summer editions—this quintessential fashion event offers the world a sneak peek into the latest designer couture.
Once again, this year’s Paris Fashion Week has successfully captured the world’s attention, proving that today’s runway is more than just a showcase for designer couture—it’s a playground for technological innovations. In this article, let’s take a closer look at how advanced technology like AI played a major role at the 2024 Paris Fashion Week.
1. 3D knitting technology by Yusuke Takahashi’s CFCL
Computer-developed knitwear from CFCL
Image from The Post
On September 23, 2024, the first day of Spring/Summer Paris Fashion Week 2025, Clothes For Contemporary Life (CFCL), a Japanese brand founded by Yusuke Takahashi, made headlines for its 3D-printed knitted dresses.
Here’s how Takahashi creates these dresses using 3D printing technology: First, he draws his designs digitally on a tablet, which are then turned into machine-readable data by factory programmers. This data informs a computer-driven knitting machine—doubling as a 3D printer—that knits the garments one at a time.
This tech-infused production process is not only innovative but also eco-friendly. Since the garments are printed as whole pieces, they require no cutting or sewing, generating little to no waste. Additionally, the use of recycled polyester in the yarns adds another layer of environmental consciousness.
2. AI try-on kiosk by FabriX
Virtual try-on Kiosk by FabriX
Image from FabriX’s Instagram
FabriX, a Hong Kong government-powered digital fashion project launched in 2022, returned to the Spring/Summer edition of Paris Fashion Week 2025 to unveil its newly upgraded virtual try-on kiosk. At this kiosk, attendees explored a range of digital fashion creations from six distinguished designer brands.
Shaped like a Tamagotchi, the latest model, the 2.0.1 edition, is a collaboration with digital identification solutions provider Avery Dennison, digital fashion commerce infrastructure provider Genesis-One and augmented reality and AI specialist ZERO10. At the FabriX kiosk, visitors had the opportunity to try on digital fashion items, take pictures with the outfits and even pre-order them on the spot. Some of the items were exclusively made for Roblox avatars.
Since launching at London and Paris Fashion Week 2023, FabriX has been bringing local fashion talent to the global stage. The project supports designers from the drawing board to the digital runway, helping transform their sketches into 3D models ready for virtual try-ons. Additionally, FabriX works with designers in listing their products on a global fashion marketplace, making it easier for them to reach a broader audience.
The curator of FabriX, Declan Chan shares the vision behind the project, “[FabriX] enables us to promote fashion without being bound by the limitation of logistics. And since it doesn’t require physical samples [from] the designers, it allows us to work with global talents and content creators to create various innovative digital assets to promote the designers’ work.”
3. AI-powered immersive fashion runway by Balenciaga
Image from COUR via Fast Company
During the Fall/Winter edition of Paris Fashion Week in March 2024, Balenciaga offered an extraordinary experience. The runway was transformed into an immersive digital realm, with walls and ceilings covered in screens displaying AI-generated images and videos of various landscapes—from the icy expanses of Iceland and Greenland to the vast deserts of the Sahara. At the same time, images of flowers kept on regenerating using AI. This immersive setup let audiences feel as if the fashion models were stepping right out of these exotic locations.
Exploring the concept of “good taste vs. bad taste”, this captivating visual experience was made possible thanks to a collaboration between American design studio COUR, New York-based creative studio Good Company and Berlin-based art studio Sub. As the show progressed, the digital backdrop gradually transformed into an infinite Instagram feed, eventually dissolving into static white noise. This transition from the beauty of nature to chaotic visuals symbolized the contrast between good taste and a dystopian view of beauty.
The future of fashion at Paris Fashion Week
Fashion is always a playground and runway for technology, as demonstrated by this year’s Paris Fashion Week. This year’s events show us how AI and 3D printing technologies are not just enhancing the design and production processes but are also reshaping how we experience and interact with fashion.
From CFCL’s 3D-printed garments that minimize waste to FabriX’s virtual try-on kiosks and Balenciaga’s immersive digital runways, these innovations offer a glimpse into a future where technology continues to enrich fashion, making it more sustainable, interactive and personalized.
Also read:
- Threads of Social Change: Meet These 5 Indian Fashion Brands Championing Sustainability and Inclusivity
- 5 Plant-Based Leather Brands Leading the Sustainable Fashion Revolution
- How Technology Is Transforming the Fashion Industry?
Header Image from Unsplash
