Berlin fashion industry shifts toward AI and ultra-fast fashion

The fashion landscape in Berlin is undergoing significant structural changes as major players move away from traditional production methods. Zalando, Europe’s largest online fashion retailer, has closed its two Berlin-based photo studios following reports that it is transitioning to artificially generated imagery for advertising. This shift resulted in the loss of more than 340 jobs.

Similarly, About You has shuttered its own studio and is now marketing its Scayle Studios to other retailers. The company claims this model can reduce production costs by more than 90 percent, with 130 brands already utilizing the service to generate massive volumes of digital clothing combinations.

In a separate development at Potsdamer Platz, the former site of the Deutsche Kinemathek has seen the opening of a pop-up store for the Chinese ultra-fast fashion retailer Shein. The transition from a cultural film institution to a retail space has drawn protests from Greenpeace activists. The group is highlighting Shein’s environmental impact and alleging that many of its products contain pollutant levels exceeding EU limits. Activists are calling for stricter regulations on ultra-fast fashion, similar to recent legislative measures introduced in France.