European online fashion retailer Zalando is increasingly using artificial intelligence to accelerate content production, with approximately 70 per cent of its editorial campaign assets being AI-generated in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The company, which operates across 25 European markets, has turned to generative AI technology to respond more rapidly to short-lived fashion trends that emerge on social media, according to statements made on Wednesday.

Matthias Haase, vice president content solutions at Zalando, explained the strategic shift: "AI gives us the ability to move at the pace of culture — from spotting a trend to producing tailored content in under 24 hours. It's like going from two hands to four. That kind of flexibility means our teams can stay creative, empowered and focused, while scaling content that's timely, relevant, and high quality."

The technology has dramatically reduced both production time and costs. Haase told Reuters that using generative AI cuts the time needed to produce imagery to around three to four days from six to eight weeks, whilst reducing costs by 90 per cent.

"We are using AI to be able to be reactive," Haase said in an interview. "It's not because of AI content that is better than human-created content, it is really about how new, how relevant it is to our customers."

The company is also developing AI-generated "digital twins" of models for use in its marketing campaigns. These three-dimensional replicas enable Zalando to feature a model in a campaign and show an exact replica of that model in the app's product pages without taking hundreds of photographs.

Sweden's H&M implemented similar "digital twins" technology in March, created in collaboration with a modelling agency.

When questioned about how generative AI might affect job prospects for fashion photographers, Haase maintained that traditional fashion shoots would still be necessary, but that photographers and other creative professionals would need to adapt to using AI tools.

"Creative people fear that AI makes creatives redundant," Haase said. "I don't see that at all, to be honest... I see it rather that creative minds have now, instead of two hands, six hands."

The AI-generated imagery has proven particularly effective for illustrating Zalando's recaps of major fashion trends, including "brat summer," "mob wife," and double denim.

The company frames these technological developments as part of its broader strategy to build "the leading pan-European fashion and lifestyle destination" with an emphasis on visual-first formats and interactive experiences that support inspiration, better discovery, and more confident purchases for customers.

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