Yoox is planning AI-driven own label, says Marchetti

Yoox, the multi-brand off-price website, is working on a new own-brand label that will be created using artificial data, according to Yoox Net-A-Porter CEO Federico Marchetti.

Speaking the Wired Smarter conference in London today, Marchetti said the label will be created by combining customer-generated data blended with the creativity of its design team.

"By using the data, we think the creative team can interpret better our customer needs going forward," Marchetti said. The label has not yet been given a name but it is set to launch in the next few weeks.

Marchetti said in future, as machines play more of a role in the design and manufacture of clothing, labels such as Made In Italy could be replaced by "Made By Humans".

Today we use labels such as British Made, Swiss watches, Made in Italy, German automobiles to convey a sense of quality and craftsmanship. In the future there will be just one label to convey this: ‘MADE BY HUMANS’. #WIREDSmarter @WiredUK pic.twitter.com/Kq58FuQoow

— Federico Marchetti (@fmarchetti) October 9, 2018

"[...]  it will probably be easier to let a machine do everything in the future. It’s a choice to stop ourselves from allowing technology to replace what we truly value," Marchetti added, asking they business didn't want to design a line that had no human interaction and preferred a combination of man and machine.

The move by Yoox to create its own label follows that of its menswear, in-season business Mr Porter to create Mr P., a line of year-round basics topped up with seasonal pieces, that was created on the back of data gleaned from customers.