What We Learned at PI Apparel NYC 2025

5 key topics on ai for retail & what they mean for the fashion industry

Fashion technology has been changing rapidly with the introduction of Ai. Today everything is ‘Ai-powered’, Ai-Generated’, ‘Ai-Supported’, ‘Ai-friendly’, etc. Coming out of PI, one thing was clear: brands are no longer simply experimenting with digital tools. They’re implementing them, refining them, and demanding more from them.

Here are five major concepts we observed — and how they connect to the future of work in fashion.

1. generative ai is maturing fast

Once seen as an experimental playground, generative AI is now stepping into real workflows. Brands are moving past the “wow” factor and starting to ask: Can this scale with my team? Can this align with my brand voice and identity?

The answer, increasingly, is yes. There are real-world examples of AI moving beyond ideation and into production — whether that’s complementing your 2D and 3D workflows to generate marketing assets, elevating simple design visuals with try-on videos or simply visualizing your design with realistic Ai-generated renders.

At this level of maturity, AI is becoming less of a novelty and more of a strategic asset. But only when it’s implemented thoughtfully — with guardrails, customization, and clear ROI.

2. image quality is non-negotiable

No matter how shinny or flashy the tool is, image quality still reigns supreme.

Brands are making it clear: visuals need to be not just beautiful, but accurate. This is especially critical in the context of digital samples, e-commerce, and virtual marketing assets — where what’s on screen is the only point of reference a buyer or customer has.

Across conversations, one thing was clear: high-fidelity materials, realistic draping, true-to-color representation — these are the new standards, not luxuries. AI or no AI, quality builds trust. And trust builds conversion.

3. speed-to-market – powered by ai

This topic continues to appear in multiple conversations. 3D has promised this for years, and brands continue to chase this goal. Trends are moving faster, so brands want fast launch calendars and leaner teams.

In this environment, brands aren’t looking for shiny tools — they’re looking for real acceleration. And that’s exactly where AI is starting to prove its value. From shortening sample cycles to generating design imagery on demand, AI is helping teams eliminate bottlenecks that once slowed them down. But speed alone isn’t enough. What brands are prioritizing now is fast, without compromise — visuals that are both on-brand and on-time.

4. integrated tools, not isolated

One of the most repeated questions we heard at the show wasn’t about features — it was about technical integrations.
“How does this integrate with what we’re already using?” – “Can my designers and merchandisers work in it together?”, “Will I need to overhaul my pipeline to adopt it?”

The answers matter. Brands don’t want another isolated tool. They want platforms that plug into their existing workflows — with seamless integration to PLMs, DAMs, and creative tools. In other words, collaboration isn’t just about people — it’s about systems. And the tools that will win are the ones that play well with others.

5. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & LEGAL RISK CONTINUE TO BE A CONCERN

As AI adoption accelerates, so does scrutiny around intellectual property and content ownership. At PI, this subject came up more than once.
Brands are asking:

• Where does the training data come from?
• Who owns the rights to AI-generated visuals?
• How do we protect our designs from being scraped or copied?

These concerns are valid — and growing. The fashion industry has always been protective of its creativity, and AI introduces new complexity. What we heard loud and clear is that trust in AI tools will depend not just on performance, but on transparency, control, and legal clarity.

That’s why platforms need to offer closed training environments, brand-specific customization, and clear IP frameworks. Creating high-quality visuals is important, but we must protect the creative capital behind it.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

At Straight Lines AI these themes resonate deeply. We’re building technology that not only matches where the industry is going — but drives its future. From high-quality visuals to intelligent integrations, we’re focused on helping teams create faster, collaborate smarter, and build amazing visuals in a safe environment.

If these challenges sound familiar, we’d love to continue the conversation. Let’s build the future of fashion — together.