The Future of Fashion Illustration in the Era of AI
- Elyse Blackshaw
- Jul 7
- 6 min read
Blog by London Fashion Illustrator Elyse Blackshaw
I was recently asked to give my "expert" opinion on Fashion Illustration and AI for Elite Traveller, along with the fabulous Jacqueline Bissett, who has spent nearly 4 decades in the industry. See the full article by Elly Woodhouse here: https://elitetraveler.com/design-culture/fashion-illustration-ai
I think this conversation around art forms and AI will be ongoing for many years to come. Whilst the article gives snippets of insight into my opinion, I wanted to share my full, unedited response.
Read below for the questions prompts and my answers.
Q: What role do you think fashion illustration has historically played in shaping
fashion culture and visual storytelling?
"Fashion illustration sits in this interesting space between fine art, design and communication. There is a huge misconception that fashion illustrators design clothes, when actually they help sell the dream. As an art form it predates magazines, beginning as early as the 16th century, when printed books showed clothing from different nations and social classes. The earliest publications where fashion illustrations were first featured were journals in France and England in the 1670s, which could be considered the birth of fashion magazines. Before photography, it was the main way fashion designers communicated ideas and how the public encountered new styles of clothing.
After the introduction of photography however, illustration shifted. Whilst it could have been its demise, it was instead an opportunity. In the late twentieth and early twenty‐first centuries, fashion illustrators thrived on the freedom to be interpretive, responsive and stylised. That shift opened the door to the huge range of styles we see today. Fashion illustration celebrates individualistic style, different ways of seeing, and the freedom to respond in any medium, format, scale, and style. It’s empowering."
Q: What do you think illustration offers that photography or AI-generated imagery cannot?
"I don’t think photography and illustration can be compared fairly. They offer different purposes now, and one isn’t trying to compete with the other. It really depends on if by photography you mean press photography at fashion shows, a photographer as an artist using film, or the everyday user taking iPhone pics... You could argue that live fashion illustration captures continuous movement over a period of time, whilst photography is an immediate snapshot of one particular moment in time. There’s fluidity within fashion illustration that I wouldn’t personally associate with photography.
When it comes to AI-generated imagery, fashion illustration offers something that AI simply can’t replicate: a real human, emotional, spontaneous response. AI needs to be prompted, whereas I don’t know how I am going to respond until the moment. I will embody movement, sound, atmosphere, conversations and energy into an illustration - and in real time. I can choose to exaggerate, abstract or emotionally amplify what I’m feeling in the moment. By the time you have entered the AI prompts, the show would be over, the moment gone forever. I think we need to appreciate that the stylised response of a fashion illustrator has been developed over a long period of time, through hours and hours of drawing, study and experiences. Every mark made holds history and memory. That’s why my clients still gravitate toward human generated work. It feels personal and alive. Even recently, a client chose my original hand drawn illustrations over my digitally rendered versions. Hand drawn creates a very personal connection in a way digital perfection sometimes can’t.
Fashion illustrators are also often multi-disciplinary. Yes we can sketch on paper, but we can also translate that sketch into a painted window, into beautifully designed packaging, into a tactile textile print, into anything you want... and you can watch and experience the process with us. There’s a real performative element that isn’t often spoken about."
Q: How have you seen the role of fashion illustrators change over the past
decade?
"The role of fashion illustrators has expanded massively. A decade ago, illustration was often seen as a niche or nostalgic part of the industry, something reserved for editorials, luxury campaigns, or the occasional live event. Now, fashion illustrators are everywhere: on social media, in brand activations, in community projects, in digital campaigns, large-scale installations, even London buses! What’s changed most is the purpose. Illustration isn’t just about visualising garments. It’s about storytelling, identity,
representation, and cultural commentary. It’s also become more accessible as illustrators can share work globally, build audiences, and collaborate with brands, without even needing an agent.
At the same time, there’s a renewed appreciation for hand drawn aesthetics. In a digital first world, clients value the authenticity and emotional resonance of something created by hand. Fashion illustrators are no longer limited to runway fashion; many work across education, community engagement, sustainability, and public art. The role has become more multifaceted and socially connected."
Q: What is your honest reaction to the rise of AI-generated fashion imagery?
"Technology is going to happen. Trends are going to happen. Wait long enough and we often wish to revert back to “the old ways” of making. Like when photography originally took over fashion magazines, it wasn’t the demise of fashion illustration, it was the opposite. Fashion illustration has thrived beyond magazines. If AI-generated fashion imagery started to dominate, I think human fashion illustration would become even more desirable. AI imagery can be impressive and useful in certain contexts, but it can also feel a bit flat. Fashion is built on skilled people bringing craft, culture, and lived experience. When imagery becomes too predictable or algorithmic, I think something gets lost."
Q: Do you see AI as a threat, a tool, or something more nuanced?
"AI can definitely be a tool as it supports work load and time efficiency, particularly in administrative areas. There is no denying it can be used effectively and have huge benefits, but overall I see AI as a huge environmental and social threat. From water usage, to cyber security, targeted propaganda to disinformation, I think there needs to be more regulations for safety and security, particularly those who may be more vulnerable. The danger comes when AI is used without ethics or understanding."
Q: What concerns you most about AI’s impact on creative industries?
"My biggest concern is opportunity, especially for emerging creatives. The creative industries have always been notoriously hard to succeed in, particularly for those from working class backgrounds (who make up such a small percentage of the industry). If brands are choosing AI for quick, cheap artwork, then they are not investing in real talent. This has long term consequences such as fewer pathways into the industry, less diversity and a loss of culture. I also worry about homogenisation. AI is trained on existing imagery, which means it often reinforces the same aesthetics, the same body types, the same narratives. You have to question who is entering the prompts, where the existing imagery is coming from, and who is being unknowingly exploited as a result."
Q: Are there aspects of fashion illustration that you feel AI cannot replicate?
"I think we have to acknowledge that fashion illustration, and other forms of art and design, are not solely based on skill; AI could probably replicate skills and techniques. Fashion illustration occurs due to an emotional reaction that is translated physically, with movement, onto a surface. AI is a mathematical software, operating on pattern prediction, whereas fashion illustration is instinctive and spontaneous. AI is also unable to have feelings (currently - who knows in the future!). People appreciate artwork due to
the way it resonates with emotions, memory and experience. But it’s not even just about the artwork, we often find ourselves investing emotionally in the person behind the artwork itself; their story and journey of discovery. AI cannot be the fashion illustrator frantically sketching the atmosphere at a fashion week show, the live event illustrator connecting with guests and making them feel special, the lecturer or workshop host building a community of new fashion illustrators. Community and community spaces are
incredibly important."
Q: Looking ahead, what do you think the future of fashion illustration will look like?
"Fashion illustration is so dynamic and unpredictable... so who knows! This is why it is such an exciting art form. I would personally like to see it researched and explored further as a tool for social impact. Illustrators using their platform to tell stories, challenge norms, and connect with audiences beyond traditional fashion spaces. It would also be exciting to see how AR and VR can enhance the fashion illustrators and audience experience, to be fully immersed in the mind of a fashion illustrator and their
process. (AR and VR manually coded by humans of course!)."
I'd love to know what you think about AI and the future! Please share your thoughts in the comments!