Turkish startup Myth AI has developed a generative AI tool to tackle fashion industry waste by streamlining the pattern-making process and enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.
The initiative comes as the fashion industry has also been susceptible to waste, producing about 92 million tons of textile waste annually. But the AI designs ultimately cut the time needed to create “bespoke designs,” reducing unsellable inventory and minimizing waste.
According to the company, this also allows for digital experimentation with materials before final physical garment production.
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Promoting sustainability
According to a Tech EU article, the London-based tech firm seeks to leverage technology to streamline processes in the fashion industry. The technology accelerates the design process by up to 70% while increasing efficiency by 80%, according to the firm.
EU Startups states that the technology helps reduce the need for swatch samples, which ultimately end up in landfills. Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, according to the Earth Organization, 92 million metric tons end up in landfills. This is equivalent to a rubbish truck full of clothes, which ends up in a landfill every second.
On a global scale, the garment and footwear industry contributes about 8% of greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for 20% of global waste water.
But the stakeholders in the industry are cognizant of the damage they are causing to the environment, prompting them to innovate.
The Tech article further notes that fashion houses traditionally relied on fabric suppliers to offer them designs. Most of these have often been in the form of “swatches and prototypes.”
If the design is rejected, it will require some modifications. “This already-produced textile is, well, about the 92 tons of waste produced annually.” If the trend continues, fashion waste may further increase to about 134 million tons by the end of the decade.
Using Myth AI to tackle the challenge
By incorporating generative AI, Myth AI’s goal is to streamline the pattern-making process. This is expected to create more sustainable designs as well as production processes.
“Our technology currently allows brands to create distinctive patterns within minutes, setting them apart in an industry often reliant on fabric suppliers,” said Myth AI’s founder and CEO, Özgecan Üstgül.
“By drastically streamlining the process, we’re not only enhancing efficiency but also addressing fashion’s sustainability issues by significantly reducing fabric swatches and prototypes.”
Üstgül added that the company was formed while creating an in-house solution to support her established fashion line, Women & Women.
With Myth AI, designers can choose fabric samples through a simulation of their look and feel in the virtual world; thus, it cuts down on the need for physical samples and fittings, reducing material waste.
Expanding pattern-generation
Myth AI has already been adopted by other international brands, including Ratti in Italy, Spain’s Telater, and Turky’s Sun Textile, Elyaf Textile, Ghana Textile, Gama Textile, Zorlu Textile, and Halmer Fabric.
The startup, which opened a London office earlier this year, is now targeting UK-based companies. To implement this initiative, the tech start-up reportedly closed a $1.3 million funding round.
The funding came from angel investors, including Emre Kozlu, Birkan Kül of Getir.com, and the founder of Turkish textile firm Faik Ulutas.
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