AI can help tailor shifts from fast fashion to sustainable, ethical and inclusive fashion

Sakshi Gupta is the founder of Dehlis AI. — Photo by Jennifer Friesen, Digital Journal

“I am guilty of using a lot of fast fashion,” says Sakshi Gupta, founder of Dehlis AI. 

“I had piles and piles of clothes that I wanted to get rid of, but it kind of pained my heart to drop them at a store that I know [they probably] won’t be used again. I knew that they would be ending up in landfill.” 

For Gupta, this realization was a turning point, setting her on a path to using tech to reimagine how people shop for clothing — while reducing harm to the planet and supporting ethical production.

Gupta, founder of Dehlis AI, spoke with Digital Journal while attending DevFestYYC, a Calgary Innovation Week event. Based in Silicon Valley, Gupta’s is tackling one of the fashion world’s most pressing problems: fast fashion’s impact on the environment and consumers’ ability to make informed, ethical choices.

How big is the problem?

 “Approximately 92 million tonnes of clothing are discarded globally annually, with Canada contributing 500,000 to 1 million tonnes,” Kelly Drennan, Founding Executive Director of Fashion Takes Action told Ivey Business School. 

That’s 184 billion pounds of clothing that are discarded every year.

Dehlis AI is still in its early stages but promises to bring consumers a personal stylist powered by artificial intelligence. 

Gupta describes it as a tool that provides clothing recommendations based on weather, style preferences, body type, and — crucially — ethical standards. 

“Dehlis is made for more sustainable clothing education,” Gupta explains. “Education doesn’t come easy. A lot of people don’t even recognize — or find it difficult to understand — what sustainable clothing means.”

At the heart of Dehlis AI is a commitment to connect consumers with brands that prioritize sustainability and fair practices, she says. 

The platform draws on global partnerships, featuring brands from India, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain and beyond. 

“We think about any design or brand that is working on building things more ethically — paying their artisans fairly, sourcing materials responsibly and using natural fibers that biodegrade,” Gupta explains. 

The goal is to take the legwork out of sustainable shopping, making it accessible to everyone.

Scaling sustainability: How AI bridges convenience and global reach

While AI can be a tool for convenience, Gupta says it’s what makes her platform scalable. 

“If we were to not use AI, we would have to hire maybe multiple fashion stylists, and they would, as a full-time job, try to answer queries over chat or phone for these customers,” she explains. 

“While that sounds amazing — we really want to appreciate these artists, these individuals — but that’s not scalable at this stage where we are with billions of people on the planet. AI helps us scale to all user queries and answer their questions without human intervention.”

Dehlis AI leverages machine learning models trained on human expertise, allowing the platform to mimic the intuition and knowledge of a stylist while automating responses for a global audience. 

Gupta notes that while automation is central to Dehlis’ mission, the human element still plays a critical role in auditing and refining the system’s recommendations.

She also stresses the importance of continuous improvement of the data sets used to inform her AI tool. 

“If there are certain things that you do not know exist, it’s fine, just be open to including them in the model. Also, it’s always good to give disclaimers. My app today does not include all the data sets right now, but maybe we’ll try to include it [in future].”

This iterative approach aligns with Dehlis’ broader mission to create an ethical AI platform that reflects diverse perspectives and experiences. Whether it’s addressing gaps in demographic representation or finding new ways to incorporate feedback, Gupta sees inclusivity as an essential element of the tool.

For her, Dehlis AI is a way to address the environmental and ethical challenges of fashion while empowering consumers to make better choices. 

“I cannot just go ahead and buy things because I can afford them,” she reflects. “I have to think about buying things as much as I think about disposing of them, just like we recycle.”

This article was created with the assistance of AI. Learn more about our AI ethics policy here.