From runway shows to commercial production, AI is transforming Japan’s fashion industry, but the absence of legal guidelines leaves room for potential design theft.
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| AI's growing role in Japan's fashion industry raises creative possibilities, but its unregulated use sparks worries about intellectual property theft and counterfeiting. Image Courtesy: Japan News |
Tokyo, Japan — February 16, 2025:
Generative artificial intelligence is making waves in Japan’s fashion industry, revolutionizing runway designs and mass-market production. However, the lack of national or industry-specific guidelines surrounding AI use has raised concerns over counterfeiting and intellectual property theft.
At the Tokyo Collections in September 2024, Japanese brand Yoshiokubo showcased a white jumpsuit from its Spring/Summer 2025 collection, with patterns created using generative AI. This marked the second consecutive season that designer Yoshio Kubo incorporated the technology, demonstrating AI’s potential to innovate fashion. Kubo, 50, emphasized that while AI aids in the creative process, he ensures that each design retains his signature style. For his Autumn/Winter 2024 collection, he guided AI to generate a balloon pattern, which he then shaded to create a 3D effect.
AI’s impact on fashion extends beyond the design process. Tools like Maison AI, developed by Tokyo-based OpenFashion, help generate patterns, designs, and models based on user input. AI is also aiding in marketing and virtual modeling, with AI-generated models and backgrounds producing strikingly realistic results, as seen in a 2024 competition organized by OpenFashion.
In commercial production, AI is streamlining operations. Toyoshima & Co., a major Nagoya-based textile firm, introduced “Virtual Standard AI-Pattern” in January 2024. The system generates multiple pattern variations in seconds, significantly cutting down on revision time and improving overall efficiency.
Despite these advancements, regulatory gaps remain. While Japan’s Economy, Trade, and Industry Ministry issued AI guidelines for content industries like gaming and advertising in 2024, no such framework exists for fashion, leaving brands to face legal risks without clear guidelines.
Experts, such as Hiroshi Komoda of the Japan Fashion Week Organization, stress the need for deeper discussions about AI’s role in the industry. Komoda warned that while generative AI opens up new creative possibilities, it could also undermine human ingenuity and exacerbate concerns about counterfeiting and design theft. "We need to keep a close eye on international trends and engage in thoughtful debate,” he said.