What: Norma Kamali is developing an AI system to replicate her design style, ensuring her creative legacy continues after her eventual departure from her fashion company.

Why it is important: This initiative represents a groundbreaking approach in the fashion industry for succession planning, highlighting the potential of AI in preserving and continuing a designer's unique creative vision.

Celebrated New York designer Norma Kamali, at 78, is not yet ready to retire but is proactively planning for the future of her company. She is collaborating with Maison Meta to create a custom AI tool that can generate new designs based on her extensive creative archive. This project involves feeding thousands of images from her brand’s history into the AI model, effectively "downloading" her creative DNA. The goal is not to replace human designers but to allow the company to maintain Kamali's creative influence post-retirement. This innovative approach raises questions about the role of AI in fashion design and the preservation of a brand's identity after the departure of its founding designer. Kamali's project is a significant step in exploring how technology can support and extend a designer's legacy in the fashion industry.

Can AI carry on a designer’s legacy?