Fashion is deeply personal. One wrong outfit and your entire day is ruined. One perfect look and you’re suddenly the main character, strutting down the street like it’s Paris Fashion Week (even if it’s just Nungambakkam High Road). But what if an algorithm, not your gut instinct, decided what you wear?
In the classic 1995 rom-com Clueless, Cher had her iconic digital wardrobe — swiping through outfit combos long before we had iPhones. Thirty years later, AI isn’t just picking outfits in movies; it’s happening in real life. Take companies like AlphaBake, for instance. This generative AI firm pioneering fashion-tech solutions building AI-powered stylists doesn’t just help you mix and match outfits but learn your style, predict trends, and offer a level of personalisation that goes beyond “black goes with everything.”
Slay or simulation?
While brands and tech giants are diving into AI-powered fashion, the people of Chennai sure do have their opinions.
Would you trust an algorithm with your wardrobe? Let’s find out.
Some say: AI? Please. My biggest fashion inspiration is still my mother screaming ‘Wear something nice!’ Not everyone is sold on the idea of an AI stylist. Amaira Gill, a student, is sceptical. “I already get bullied by my mirror; now an app is going to judge me too?” she scoffs. “Fashion is about personality… If AI starts picking my outfits, next thing you know, I’ll be wearing an algorithm-approved ‘safe choice’ every day like some NPC.”
Fair point. AI stylists, like the ones AlphaBake is developing, claim to understand personal style, but can they grasp the unspoken Chennai fashion rules? Like, no velvet in May. No denim at Marina Beach. And if AI ever suggests wearing a sweater in our monsoon humidity — it’s over.
To understand where AI and fashion are heading, we spoke to Krishna Sumanth Alwala, co-founder & CEO of AlphaBake, whose company is developing virtual try-ons and AI styling solutions. He says, AI isn’t just about robotic suggestions — it’s about personalisation. “AI-personal styling is a reality soon, and I see a lot of people using it. The good thing about AI today is that it doesn’t just have a broad knowledge base — it can also build deep, personalised insights. So it can understand nuances in taste and adjust to everyone differently,” he says.
In short, AI won’t just throw random outfits together. It’ll learn your preferences, remember what you wore last weekend, and stop you from accidentally repeating an outfit.
On the other hand, some people love the idea of outsourcing fashion stress. Shravan V, an HR Trainee, says, “I already have to hear my mom judge my clothing choices half the time, so if AI can save me from that lecture, sign me up.”
He’s not wrong. We already let AI pick our music, recommend our next meal, and decide what TV show we should binge. Why not let it suggest which shirt goes with which trousers?
Krishna agrees, pointing out how AI stylists could become the next big thing: “Having an AI stylist with whom you can have tireless conversations about fashion and styling is not far away. Those conversations can be based on what you have in your wardrobe, what you want to buy, or creating an outfit for an occasion — anything you have in mind.”
So essentially, an AI stylist might just become your new fashion bestie, minus the judgement when you decide to wear that questionable outfit again.
Virtual try-ons: Chic or cheating?
Then there’re some who say: Dressing rooms are sacred. I refuse to give them up.
AI isn’t just changing how we pick clothes — it’s also changing how we shop. Virtual try-ons are replacing dressing rooms, letting users upload their photos and see how an outfit looks without stepping into a mall. But some Chennaiites aren’t convinced.
Samiya Thakur, an intern, is one of them: “I don’t care how advanced AI is — shopping is a ritual. The thrill of grabbing ten outfits, struggling to zip yourself into one, and then panic-texting your friends for validation? You can’t replicate that online.”
Krishna, however, insists that virtual try-ons are about enhancing — not replacing the in-store experience. “Virtual try-ons do not replace dressing rooms — they enhance the online shopping experience. Virtual try-ons help users see how clothes look on them in different settings, like indoor or outdoor, day or night, by uploading photos with real lighting,” he adds.
So while AI might not steal the joy of mall trips, it might save us from impulse-buying a disastrous outfit just because the dressing room lighting was too flattering.
As if AI styling wasn’t controversial enough, fashion brands are now using AI models — meaning they can generate an entire fashion campaign without hiring real people. No stylists, no photographers, and no last-minute coffee runs for a tired crew. Photographer Alankrita Deka, is horrified. “AI is cool but fashion is about expression. How do you capture human emotion with a fake face?”
Krishna admits that AI-generated models are shaking things up, but he believes they won’t completely replace human ones. “AI is set to revolutionise fashion photoshoots. By creating AI twins of models, brands can generate unlimited outfit images in creative backgrounds without needing the model physically present, with royalties paid for the use of their faces.”
Some people are excited about the idea of an AI stylist that remembers their wardrobe better than they do. Others refuse to let a machine dictate their personal style.
Maybe the sweet spot is somewhere in between — letting AI do the boring stuff (like organising our closets) while we keep the fun, chaotic, human side of fashion alive. Because let’s be real — no algorithm will ever understand the sheer joy of impulse-buying something completely unnecessary but so right.
So, what do you think — would you let AI dress you? Or is fashion too personal to leave in the hands of a machine?