The Effects of Artificial Intelligence Are Far and Wide, and Here’s How It’s Showing Up in Fashion:

Naive Design is in for 2026.

By Marni Hill

 Image Credit: Dolce & Gabbana Spring Summer 2026

To what extent do you think Artificial Intelligence should contribute to creative sectors like fashion design? It seems that fashion might already have an answer: Naive Design. 

Naive Design embraces imperfection; designs are deliberately unrestrained and lack defined precision. The vision is clear and the delivery is bold.

Fashion in 2026 forces us to be brave, to embrace the imperfect and the messy…and show up anyway. Design is moving away from perfect curation and minimalism, focusing instead on design that is a little rough around the edges, playful, and full of character.  It’s about proof of the human hand in the process, of displaying raw talent and passion. 

Companies like Acne Studios have been posting childlike, hand drawn visuals, which I think is a sweet sentiment on how tapping in to a less-serious, creative side can show how imagination still has a place in an increasingly streamlined industry.

In this modern age it's easy to lose individuality, and with previous trends centred around minimalism and a ‘clean’, well structured look, there’s a danger of fashion becoming one homogenous style. By incorporating a ‘human eye’ we see a noticeable shift from design based on data, algorithms and efficiency, towards more well rounded, expressive ideas. Something I’ve noticed is that a long held association between luxury and perfection might be drifting more towards individuality and creativity.

I think this change for 2026 creates more space to be authentic, allowing a person to add their own flair to the way you show up in the world. The new rule of fashion seems to be ‘loser’… so go ahead and allow yourself to create, explore, to get it wrong - but don’t waste this opportunity to step outside your comfort zone. 

A fun way to add a little personality to your wardrobe without breaking the bank is investing in good accessories: a boring outfit can be immediately elevated with a cool scarf/bag/hair accessory, and St Andrews’ charity shops have provided me with such many a time.

An important point I think critics will raise is it’s messy and inefficient, but life can be like that and anyway - wasn’t AI meant to give us more time to create? To save us time in some ways that allows us to use it in more meaningful ways? Messy often means flaws, and flaws should be celebrated, not hidden.

Image Credit: Chanel Spring Summer 2026

To finish up, attached are 10 recent looks from Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel evidencing how naive design is inspiring the latest fashion trends: think bold colours and fabrics, asymmetry, funky patterns, lace and tailoring to build a silhouette.