Courtesy of Gentle MonsterFashion / LongreadHow AI infiltrated fashion, one It Girl at a timeBy making its technology chic and aspirational, the AI industry attempts to win over its sceptics – but is everyone falling for the ruse?ShareLink copied ✔️August 11, 2026FashionLongreadAugust 11, 2026Text Natasha Cornelissen AI no longer wants to limit itself to a techy male consumer base. Increasingly, it’s striving to become a cool-girl staple, with companies seeking to capitalise on the trend-setting potential of celebrities, influencers and the cloutier corners of online culture. From Steven Meisel-shot smart glasses starring Kaia Gerber and Hoyeon Jung to Gentle Monster’s forthcoming AI eyewear fronted by Anok Yai and Alex Consani, fashion and AI are becoming ever more intertwined. The timing is significant. According to recent research, women are more sceptical of AI than men and more likely to think it will have a negative impact on society. For those betting big on AI’s rise, this poses a significant challenge. Despite the gender pay gay gap, women are responsible for up to 85 per cent of household purchasing decisions in the US, possessing a spending power of over $17 trillion. In line with their increasing financial independence and higher levels of disposable income, women are a more important market for luxury brands than ever before. Consider the latest product release from Snapchat’s parent company Snap: augmented reality (AR) glasses, called SPECS. Designed with a sleek aviator frame and made from what Snap calls “plastic titanium”, the $2,195 glasses are positioned as much as a fashion object as a piece of technology. They were launched in June with a campaign shot by legendary fashion photographer Steven Meisel. Cult eyewear designer Gentle Monster has also hopped on the bandwagon, partnering with Google and Samsung on its own AI glasses, with more designs due