What I Learned Chairing Retail Rebels: The Future of Fashion, AI, and Retail
Hi, I’m Jessica Couch, a fashion and technology expert. I usually attend conferences and do research so you don’t have to—but this time, I did something different. I had the opportunity to chair a conference: Retail Rebels, hosted by PI Apparel in New York. The goal? Break the mold of traditional conferences by creating a space that was conversational, connected, and cutting-edge.
Chairing meant helping set the tone and flow, introducing speakers, and delivering the keynote. Here’s what I learned—and why you need to pay attention if you’re in fashion, retail, or tech.
Wholesale Is Collapsing—and Fast
One of the biggest red flags in fashion right now? Retailers can’t pay their vendors. Case in point: Essence (the luxury retailer, not the magazine) reportedly owes brands millions. This echoes what we’ve seen with Saks, Forever 21, and others.
The traditional wholesale model—fronting product and waiting to be paid later—is outdated and high-risk. Retailers can't move product fast enough, and consumer behavior has changed. Shoppers are bargain-trained and discount-hungry. Selling full-price luxury to a discount-conditioned market just isn’t sustainable.
DTC Isn’t the Savior We Thought
The obvious pivot from wholesale was direct-to-consumer (DTC)—and for a while, it worked. Thanks to early partnerships like Shopify + Facebook/Instagram, brands could map ad spend directly to revenue. But that formula doesn’t work anymore.
Social platforms are oversaturated. Ads are expensive and less effective. Your brand now competes with political ads, global news, and mega brands just to show up on a scroll. And because visibility is low, your return on ad spend has plummeted.
DTC is struggling because discovery is broken.
AI Is Reshaping Retail – For Better or Worse
This conference wasn’t about AI-generated design—it was about AI replacing photography, videography, customer service, and search.
What’s happening:
Brands now use one photo to generate 100+ visuals: new lighting, angles, ethnicities, backdrops—AI does it all.
Chatbots are becoming smarter, helping customers file returns and resolve defects without human support.
Virtual try-on tools are evolving—think Polyvore 2.0—with interactive runway views and AR-based fit.
AI is improving size-matching through tech packs and body scans (though people still hate seeing their body scans).
But there are real concerns: What happens to stylists, photographers, and models when AI replaces catalogs? Vogue tried it with digital models—and the backlash was swift. Consumers still want to connect with real people, not synthetic perfection.
Goodbye SEO, Hello AEO (AI Engine Optimization)
Here’s a big one: Google now limits search results to just 10 pages. If you used to show up on page 22, you’ve vanished.
We’re entering the era of AEO—AI Engine Optimization. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s SGE are now the first stop for product search and discovery. If your brand isn’t indexed in these tools, you don’t exist.
That means:
You must translate your product metadata for AI
You must show up in multiple formats (text, video, reviews, etc.)
You need to diversify marketing channels beyond traditional ad platforms
Final Thoughts: Fashion Brands Must Think Like Tech Startups
If you’re a designer or brand today, you’re not just in fashion—you’re in tech. You need a business team who understands this evolving terrain.
You’re fighting for:
Visibility in a fragmented, algorithm-driven world
Trust in a sea of AI content and fake imagery
Survival in collapsing retail systems
This isn't doom and gloom—it’s a wake-up call. Your strategy, community, and visibility must evolve. The brands that win will be the ones who act fast, stay informed, and think like modern tech companies.
I’ll keep sharing updates through my newsletter (moving from LinkedIn to Substack soon), so subscribe to stay ahead.