Kering launches "CRAFT" to bring together crafts, fashion and technology
At a time when artificial intelligence and immersive technologies are redefining the contours of contemporary design, the major fashion houses are stepping up their investment in innovation. The launch of Kering CRAFT, an international program in partnership with Shanghai Fashion Week, is fully in line with this trend.
A creative residency to showcase Chinese talent
Announced at the China International Import Expo, Kering CRAFT inaugurates a new form of international collaboration between Milan, Paris and Shanghai. The program will support young Chinese designers selected by a jury of experts in an immersion program combining know-how, design and entrepreneurial knowledge. Designed to encourage "glocal" creation, the program aims to bring out houses capable of making a name for themselves both in China and internationally.
This project also reflects the cultural dynamism of China, which has become one of the fastest-growing innovation hubs in the industry. For Kering, supporting this booming creative scene means nurturing the future of luxury while strengthening the links between traditional know-how and cutting-edge technologies.
Innovation, AI and new visual narratives
While CRAFT's focus is on craft and design, it is set against a backdrop where AI, AI virtual mannequins and AI fashion occupy a growing place in creative processes. Residents will have the opportunity to explore tools capable of amplifying their ideas, whether visualizing silhouettes, experimenting with materials, or developing complete visual identities even before physical production.
For emerging brands, these technologies become an invaluable lever for projecting their universe onto digital platforms, reinforcing their artistic direction and offering immersive experiences tailored to the expectations of the global consumer. With this in mind, Artcare is already supporting numerous designers with e-commerce AI solutions capable of producing coherent, expressive content tailored to each market.
A strategic bridge between creative cultures
The CRAFT program is not just an educational initiative: it acts as a catalyst between the Chinese and European creative scenes. Beyond supporting talent, it opens up a space where technological innovation can dialogue with traditional know-how. This convergence nurtures a new global aesthetic, where the boundaries between craftsmanship and avant-garde technology are becoming increasingly porous.
In this dynamic, the use of AI tools - from virtual mannequins to augmented design environments - enables the exploration of unprecedented visual forms. Designers can thus imagine campaigns, virtual catwalks or hybrid lookbooks, capable of traveling instantly from one continent to another and amplifying their international presence.
A sustainable vision of the future of luxury
Kering's ambition is also in line with a logic of responsibility: investing in talent, innovation and transmission is one way of building a more sustainable luxury. AI, by streamlining certain processes and reducing the resources needed for the creative phases, contributes to this objective while offering fertile ground for new ideas.
From Milan to Shanghai, this residence will become a place of learning, but above all of experimentation, where the next generation of luxury aesthetics will be forged: more connected, more technological, more collaborative.
Conclusion
With Kering CRAFT, the Group is opening up an ambitious chapter that combines creation, know-how and emerging technologies. This dialogue between artisans, designers and digital tools heralds a profound evolution in the global creative landscape. At Artcare, we are following and accompanying these movements with the conviction that AI - through design, visualization and AI virtual mannequins - is an essential vector for imagining the future of fashion.
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