University of Hertfordshire students stage UK’s first AI-integrated catwalk show

Final-year fashion design students at the University of Hertfordshire held an AI-integrated fashion show called Metamorphosis as part of their 2025 creative arts degree show.

The event combined live student collections with AI-generated models, holographic projections and digital scenography.

The show also included AI-revived designs from alumni from the past 20 years, with both real and virtual models on the catwalk.

Fashion lecturer, designer and AI consultant Morchen Liu curated and directed the show.

Liu said: “Metamorphosis marks a bold step forward for fashion and design education.

“We reimagined the traditional catwalk into a hybrid, immersive experience where human creativity met machine intelligence.

“From student collections to holographic alumni revivals and AI-projected models, the show celebrated transformation across time, technology, and identity.”

Liu added: “It’s the first time we’ve used generative tools so extensively, and it signals a new era for fashion storytelling.”

A highlight was a live vocal performance from herts music student Dana Mens, who co-wrote the original soundtrack with Liu using AI tools for lyrics, instrumentation and arrangement.

Rich Mitchell, associate dean for the school of creative arts, said: “There were moments during Metamorphosis where members of the audience – myself included – were no longer certain what was real and what had been generated using AI.

“It was exciting and captivatingly surreal at the same time.

“The beauty of the show’s direction, however, meant that the star of the show remained the students’ incredible fashion collections, which had been lovingly crafted during their final year of studies and which pushed the boundaries of clothing design as equally as the show’s direction.”

Mitchell added: “This pioneering production not only showcased the immense talent within the University’s Fashion Design course but also cemented the University of Hertfordshire’s place at the forefront of innovation in creative education.

“The show offered a glimpse into the future of fashion, where storytelling, sustainability, and technology combine.”

The show marked the 20th anniversary of the university’s fashion programme and was the first hybrid fashion show in UK higher education to use AI-generated models alongside live collections.