Fashion AI: Cross-Digital Innovation in the Leather Field Advanced Methodologies Using GenAI

The adoption of digital technologies and the implementation of sustainable practices have reshaped the fashion industry, offering innovative approaches to address emerging challenges through the convergence of fashion, technology, and sustainability. This article aims to explore how the integration of GenAI into the design process can serve as an opportunity for innovation in product development within the fashion industry. The ‘Conscious Leather Design Academy’ is driving innovation in the leather sector by accelerating production processes and enhancing creativity. Through its pilot project, ten companies and ten designers will activate co-design processes between universities, companies, and artificial intelligence to foster innovation. The preview of “AI scenario images” with possible virtual leather processing that replace the actual prototype, constitutes the real starting point for innovation in the field of leather applications, which was applied in the pilot experiment conducted by the Conscious Leather Design Academy. Considering these experiments, the research question guiding this paper is: how can integrating GenAI into co-design processes in the leather sector promote product innovation, accelerate development times, and strengthen sustainable practices in the fashion industry?