Summer Doll-Myers
Associate Professor
Kutztown University

In previous work, I explored diversity of models, body positivity, and the role of storytelling in reaching millennial and Gen Z consumers. Those ideas shaped the original version of a fashion advertising project I teach in my communication design curriculum. Today, however, the landscape has shifted once again. TikTok and other social media platforms now shape how audiences interpret fashion campaigns, while artificial intelligence introduces both creative possibilities—such as impossible environments and experimental imagery—and new ethical questions around authenticity, representation, and human craft. At the same time, the current “denim wars” between brands like Gap and American Eagle reveal how cultural and political tensions weave themselves into fashion advertising, sparking unexpected conversations among students in the classroom.

In response, I redesigned the fashion project in my advertising design course. Students now develop a multi-platform campaign—print, in-store, and digital—using traditional photography with the option to integrate AI-generated background elements. They also analyze contemporary fashion campaigns, examining how AI, cultural politics, and brand positioning influence audience perception and trust. The project balances conceptual thinking with problem solving, encouraging students to evaluate fashion advertising through both creative and ethical lenses.

This presentation will share the project brief, examples covered, student quotes about AI, and selected student work. While earlier versions of the project emphasized storytelling and representation, design pedagogy today must also prepare students to navigate the technological, cultural, and political forces shaping the future of fashion advertising.

This design research is presented at Design Incubation Colloquium 12.1: Virtual Online on Friday, November 14, 2025.