redesign organisations – A new executive memo argues that AI is reorganizing fashion companies across nearly every function at once—forcing leaders to rethink oversight, roles, and people strategy. It says the strongest results will come from investing in both technology and the human
Artificial intelligence is forcing fashion companies to face a kind of organisational puzzle they haven’t seen in decades. It’s not adding a single new priority neatly boxed into a new department. Instead. it is changing how multiple parts of the business operate at the same time—design and merchandising. planning and marketing. customer service. and even corporate operations.
That simultaneity is part of what makes the challenge so hard to manage. For years. big business shifts tended to reshape organisations in more predictable ways: e-commerce in the 2000s created new leadership around selling online; the ESG boom brought sustainability chiefs; after 2020. diversity leaders became more common. AI is different. It threads through the organisation rather than arriving as one discrete initiative.
In a memo to BoF’s Executive Members. the central issue is ownership—who should hold responsibility for AI strategy. and what organisational changes are needed to extract the most value from it. The memo frames the decision as more than structure on paper. It’s about getting oversight right across a technology that affects nearly everything. from the work behind the scenes to the customer-facing experience.
The memo also pushes leaders to be precise about what automation can do—and what it still can’t. As AI expands, it asks which skills and responsibilities remain uniquely human. That question matters because fashion is built on creativity and relationships, not just efficiency. The memo cautions against organisations that chase savings at the expense of the longer-term vision that defines the industry.
Even the pipeline for future talent is treated as part of the organisational redesign. The memo raises the question of how companies preserve junior talent pipelines as traditional learning opportunities evolve—an issue that can’t be solved with training sessions alone if day-to-day workflows change with AI.
Finally, the memo takes a hard look at where external help fits. It asks whether AI will reduce reliance on agencies. consultants. and other outside partners. and where that expertise will remain essential. The implication is that even as AI becomes embedded internally. some skills and capacity may still need to be brought in from the outside.
Taken together, the memo’s line is clear in its priorities: invest in both the technology and the people needed to capitalise on it, avoid an over-focus on cost-cutting, and stay specific about the uniquely human capabilities that drive a creative, relationship-driven business.
Where the organisation lands next—on oversight, roles, talent development, and external partnerships—will likely determine whether AI becomes a tool for sustained growth or just another expensive project that never fully integrates into how the company works.
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