A platform called CALA, which was established in 2016, uses AI and machine learning to streamline every step of the fashion supply chain, from conceptualising ideas to producing them and setting their prices. Currently, the platform is used by more than 40 businesses and freelance designers, including NBA teams and the designer KidSuper.
“We have the technology to spin out a Shopify store or build an audience on Instagram,” says Andrew Wyatt, CALA’s founder and CEO. “But it was still complicated to create a physical product. We’re trying to solve for that.”
In order to produce realistic visuals utilising descriptions in natural language, DALL-E, a system developed by OpenAI – the company behind ChatGPT, was included into CALA’s technology this year.
The method used by DALL-E to create images is similar to what is done in design studios. Many fashion companies employ a large number of designers, who are tasked with creating dozens of designs in response to a few instructions. After selecting those that best suit his or her vision, the creative director goes over the concepts and refines the sketches until they achieve the desired style for the season.
Twenty plants in ten nations, including Vietnam, China, Turkey, Italy, and Portugal, are affiliated with CALA. The system will decide which manufacturer is most suited for the specific product the user wants to make and combine all of this information into its pricing algorithm.
