Can You Tell Which of These Fashion Designs Was Created by AI (ChatGPT)?
I hired 3 human fashion designers and one AI tool (ChatGPT) to create a new look.
I tested Midjourney, but it didn’t follow instructions and got overly creative. ChatGPT was much easier to control and get the desired output.
They all got the:
- Same brief
- Same deadline
- One round of feedback
Then I asked my followers to vote: Which design do you think is AI?
The results? Let’s just say… people had strong opinions. You can read some of the reactions on LinkedIn and Instagram.
The Challenge: Design Brief, Mood Board, & Revisions
Every designer, human and AI, received this exact prompt:
I’m looking to get a luxe work from home pajama set designed. Here are the project details:
Design Brief: Design a relaxed yet elevated two-piece pajama set that works as loungewear but still looks polished enough for at-home Zoom meetings. It should feel soft and effortless while having enough structure to look intentional rather than just sleepwear. Play with fun, bold colors (refer to attached mood board for colors / print) and pops of leopard print to keep it lively and stylish.
Target Demographic: Made for young professionals (25-40) who work remotely and want comfortable yet stylish loungewear.
Deliverables: Fashion illustration of the garment on a fashion figure, showing all necessary views (esp front and back)
And this exact moodboard:
They submitted their first designs, and I sent the exact same feedback to each participant, including the AI.
- Play with the silhouette: Veer away from standard silhouette by adding interesting tweaks in the cut / proportions / design details.
- Make the colors bolder and more playful: Use the mood board as inspiration to add contrast or an unexpected twist that makes the design feel livelier and more modern.
They had 24 hours to revise and resubmit.
If you prefer to watch, I made a video about the experiment:
Designer 1
A clean silhouette and felt like a safe, sellable look, but didn’t push the creativity much.
The Reaction
No one had much to say about this design being AI or not.
Designer 2
A polished, photo-realistic interpretation that pulled straight from the moodboard.
The Reaction
People had a LOT to say about this design being AI.
“My guess is Designer 2 because of how photo realistic it is. But this is also my favorite look, which scares me even more.” — Rachel Meutzner
“I think number 2 is AI. The print has been lifted from the moodboard directly, or it’s too close to the inspiration.” — Betty Grove
“#2 looks predictable or maybe too obvious…” — Luciana A.Wraae
Designer 3
This one felt bright and playful, and came up with some unique but sellable prints.
The Reaction
Some people saw AI clues, and others felt it lacked a critical design eye.
“I’m guessing Designer 3 is AI. The background colors are slightly different, the figure has cropped feet and blue-filled hands, and the faces don’t match.” — Megan Ray
“It’s 3! But it’s scary that it’s the most visually appealing.” — Jolleen Gabriel
“I think number 3 is AI-generated. The print is applied effortlessly and the concept feels like ‘just throw in a bunch of colors’ without real thought.” — Stephany Reyes
Designer 4
An overall soft silhouette, but lacking creativity beyond an obvious leopard print design.
The Reaction
No one had much to say about this design being AI or not.
The Community Votes
I asked my LinkedIn and Instagram followers to vote which one was AI, and almost 200+ people shared their feedback.
I showed them the design prompt, moodboard, and the final looks from each designer.
Designer 2 “won” by a landslide, with 54% of people thinking it was AI generated.
But they were wrong!!!
The Final Reveal
Designer 3 was the AI!
Generated by ChatGPT, this was the one with mismatched faces, cropped feet, and hands filled in with strange color.
Yet, many people said it was their favorite.
“Designer 3 is my favorite, feeling quite Lucy and Yak and Nobody’s Child.” – Sherry Pritchet
Is AI Taking Over Fashion Design?
This was a super fun experiment, and I won’t lie, I believe that AI is pushing the fashion design boundaries. The output is creative, fun, and inspiring. The better you get at prompting, the better your results will be.
It took me about 20 prompt adjustments to figure out a formula and get results like these. They each rendered in about 60 seconds (from ChatGPT), and the formula I came up with is customizable for any style.
While I think we can AI use it for initial creativity and quick ideation, it still lacks:
- Interpreting nuance and emotion from a brief
- Balancing wearability with creativity
- Real-world constraints like garment construction or cost
Alison Hoenes, a freelance pattern maker, nailed it:
“Maybe this says just as much about the quality of the average designer than the quality of the average AI tool these days? As someone who has to figure out how to make designs in real life, there are things I’d have questions about with all of these. Not because they’re poorly designed — but because I’d want more clarity on the designer’s intent and target costs given what they illustrated.”
That’s what AI can’t quite replicate…yet.
My Favorite Pick?
Designer 2! It was clean, confident, and stylish. It interpreted the brief with intent, not just surface-level mimicry. And it didn’t feel like it was trying too hard.
I thought designer 3 (AI) was fun, but a little too childish. And designers 1 and 4 fell really flat for me, lacking depth and creativity.
I share more fun experiments like this on my YouTube channel. Subscribe here!
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