As AI and innovative technology are edging more into the fashion industry, Browzwear, a digital product creation specialist, has acquired Lalaland.ai, a maker of AI‑generated fashion models.
The deal broadens Browzwear’s artificial intelligence capabilities and expands Lalaland.ai’s reach through Browzwear’s “thousands” of brand, retailer and manufacturer customers globally. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
While Guess and H&M have recently attracted attention, and some criticism for using AI-generated models in their respective ad campaigns, Lalaland.ai debuted an AI‑generated fashion model in 2019 to show what the company described as “pixel‑perfect realism could be achieved without a camera.” The company creates diverse models based on demographics and varying body types.
As designers, manufacturers and retailers are blending physical and digital processes, some are doing so to try to reduce costs, payrolls and overhead. Others are using more innovative technology to engage with consumers in different ways and to try to improve product development and quality. On July 24, Google debut an AI feature for users in the U.S. to try on clothes virtually via the billions of apparel styles in its Shopping Graph across Search, Google Shopping and even product results on Google Images.
The Amsterdam-based Lalaland.ai is meant to offer users faster design‑to‑market turnaround times, reduce physical sampling, reduce waste for sustainability purposes, and align with Browzwear’s mission to help customers “Trust the Twin, Approve the Twin, Make the Twin.” Founded in Singapore, Browzwear has offices in New York, and internationally.
That concept doesn’t always land well with shoppers. After Guess ran a two-page ad in Vogue recently that noted it had been “Produced by Seraphinne Vallora on AI,” some critics weighed in. Earlier this month, H&M used generative AI to drop its first set of images featuring digital twins set against fashion capitals. Mango has also used AI to generate models and the campaign.
In a statement, Lalaland.ai’s founder and chief executive officer Michael Musandu said, “With immediate access to Browzwear’s massive customer base, we can scale our mission of making fashion more inclusive, sustainable, and lightning‑fast, while helping Browzwear become the industry’s first truly AI‑first platform.”
In turn, Browzwear’s CEO Greg Hanson said, “Our customers want absolute confidence in their digital twins. Lalaland’s hyper‑realistic, diverse AI models supercharge that trust and dramatically cut the time between concept and commerce.”
As part of the deal, Musandu and the rest of his tech team are being brought in-house, so Lalaland.ai’s AI scientists and engineers are teaming up with Browzwear’s research and development to generative fit models, automated imagery pipelines and other aspects. The increased 3D‑AI automation is designed to speed up Browzwear’s efforts to be “idea‑to‑digital‑twin in minutes.”
The digital product creation platform Browzwear caters to fashion brands and manufacturers to strive to accurately speed up how they design, develop and merchandise garments.