Gap Bets on AI-Native Commerce, Why Transformation Stalls, Smart Fabrics from Rare Earths
Gap embeds AI fit and prepares for agent-led commerce; Kalypso finds brands stuck turning tech into outcomes; smart fabrics with rare earth tech.
Will Milling
Meta Retreats From Metaverse, H&M Bets on Carbon Fibres, Walmart Pulls Back From AI Checkout
Meta winds down Horizon Worlds as AI takes priority; H&M backs Rubi’s CO₂-to-fibre tech to rethink material sourcing; Walmart drops in-chat checkout after weak conversion, reinforcing that AI may drive discovery, but brands still own the sale.
Zalando Scales AI Engine, Catches Tackles Fit With Nvidia, John Lewis Eyes Chat Commerce
Zalando posts €12.3bn in sales as AI drives growth across its platform; Catches launches physics-based RealFit with Nvidia and Amiri; John Lewis bets on AI assistants and TikTok Shop.
Meta Tests AI Shopping Assistant, adidas Scales 3D-Printed CLIMACOOL, VC Backs AI Fashion Startups
Meta trials conversational product discovery inside its AI chatbot; adidas rolls out its 3D-printed CLIMACOOL LACED globally using Digital Light Synthesis; venture capital firms increasingly funding AI startups.
Gucci Draws Criticism, Kate Barton’s AI Try-On, Croissant Scales Resale
Gucci faces heat for AI campaign imagery as Kate Barton bets on IBM-powered virtual try-on. Meanwhile, Croissant raises $28M to bake resale value into checkout.
True FIT AI Shopping Assistant, ASOS Virtual try-on, EU's Fashion Design Protection
True Fit launches an agentic AI fit assistant powered by 20 years of data; ASOS debuts hybrid virtual try-on with AIUTA, blending real photos and AI avatars; EU Court confirms fashion designs don’t need artistic originality to qualify for protection across the bloc.
EU Takes Aim at TikTok, Bio-Colour Gets Backed, ASOS Goes All-In on AI Design
Brussels threatens TikTok’s growth engine under the DSA; Sparxell raises €4.2m to scale plant-based structural colour; and ASOS embeds generative AI into core design workflows.
FindGPT’s Agentic Checkout, Nike’s Invisible Tech, Rental’s Speed Play
Aesthetic collapses inspiration and checkout with FindGPT’s AI shopping agent; Nike Vision bets on optical engineering; and By Rotation teams with Uber to make rental as fast as e-commerce - all pointing to a race to remove friction, not add novelty.
Prévoir’s Merchandising AI, BeSpoke’s Styling Bet, Meta’s IP Battle
Prévoir raises $750K to bring AI into merchandising workflows; BeSpoke AI bets on wardrobe-aware AI to fix fashion decision fatigue; and Meta faces a smart-glasses patent lawsuit that could disrupt the category’s fastest-growing products.
VestiAi’s AI Imagery, WHOOP’s Design Play, Alle’s Reality Check
VestiAi promises 95% cheaper fashion imagery through AI-generated models; WHOOP teams up with Samuel Ross to push wearables beyond gadget aesthetics; and AI stylist startup Alle shuts down after failing to sustain differentiation.