Yoona.ai, a leader in AI-powered fashion technology, sat the stage opening Berlin Fashion Week with an exclusive, high-energy event at the yoona Fashion Summit. The evening highlighted by the live final pitches for the first-ever worldwide AI Fashion Design Award, culminated in a special DJ set by multidisciplinary creative and jury member Nikka Lorak.
The event, “Digital Couture & Fashion AI” gathered industry leaders, emerging designers, and tech innovators at the private Cinema Room of CIC Berlin who explored the intersection of artificial intelligence and sustainable design. Three global finalists; Chengyin Xu, Ellen Judith Mueller, and Öykü Ece Uza presented their AI-driven portfolios to an expert jury.
Öykü Ece Uza of Delights Wear was voted the winner by the jury, winning a cash prize, mentorship, and significant industry visibility.
“The future of fashion isn’t coming, it’s happening in Berlin, and it’s driven by AI,” said Anna Franziska Michel, CEO and co-founder of yoona.ai. “This summit and award highlight how designers are using AI to push the boundaries of creativity and sustainability. We are thrilled to have Nikka Lorak provide the perfect fusion of culture and technology to celebrate this new era of design.”
Program Highlights 
Attendees experienced an evening of talks, curated showcases, and high-signal networking, featuring:
- Curated conversations and expert discussions at the intersection of fashion and AI.
- Digital fashion moments and immersive visuals.
- A curated showcase of fashion-tech startups and tools shaping the future of design.
- Live pitches for the AI Fashion Design Award.
- High-signal networking with designers, technologists, and industry leaders.
- A closing DJ set by Nikka Lorak ended the night on a high note and pre-opening for Berlin Fashion Week.
The on-stage program opened with welcoming remarks by Ewa Gerez and Anna Franziska Michel, followed by a keynote from Sylvia Heisel, who offered a forward-looking perspective on how creativity, technology, and new digital tools are reshaping fashion design, development, and market relevance.
Two core themes that defined the evening’s conversations. The first explored colour as a strategic commercial asset, with insights from Doug Bynum (natific) and Caitlin Kakoti (SwimUSA), joined by Janet Best, formerly of Marks & Spencer. Together, the speakers examined how colour decisions, supported by data and expertise, impact value creation across the fashion value chain.
The second focus turned to holistic digitisation in fashion, with Thomas Knick (nikkisfaktur) who presented his vision for connected digital systems, followed by a discussion with Clare Tattersall (NY Digital Fashion Week) and Stefan Gertsch (Gertsch Consulting) on how technology is already transforming fashion organisations today and their vision, from workflows and decision-making to long-term competitiveness.
AI Fashion Design Award and International Jury
The summit also spotlighted the first worldwide AI Fashion Design Award, a global open call for designers and creatives exploring fashion through AI. During the event, finalists pitched live, while others participated virtually.
The award was evaluated by an international jury spanning fashion leadership, education, editorial, and fashion-tech, including:
- Sylvia Heisel (Fashion-tech Innovator, NYC)
- Scott Lipinski (CEO, Fashion Council Germany, Berlin)
- Bianca Lang-Bognár (Brookmedia, Hamburg)
- Nikka Lorak (Fashion Photographer & DJ, London)
- Julian Guthrie (Parsons School of Design, NYC)
- Christoph Bergmann (Senior Partner, natific, Basel)
- Andrea Talic & Lisa-Jasmin Tomm (Betty Barclay Design Team, Heidelberg)
Award winner prizes included cash prize, mentorship with an industry expert, international visibility, and one year of free access to yoona.ai.
Nikka Lorak, known for her strong focus on fashion, visual storytelling, and photography, brought her unique aesthetic and musical vision to the event. Her DJ set capped the night of visionary talks and digital fashion showcases, reinforcing the connection between technology, art, and contemporary culture.
The yoona Fashion Summit is an official event of Berlin Fashion Week, hosted by yoona.ai and Venture Café, dedicated to reshaping the fashion industry through the power of cutting-edge technology.
About yoona.ai
Yoona.ai is an intelligent fashion tech B2B SaaS platform that provides AI-powered tools to streamline the creative process, from trend forecasting and design generation to 3D visualization and sustainable production guidance. The company is dedicated to transforming the fashion industry into a more sustainable and prosperous space through technology, helping brands create smarter, data-driven collections with speed and confidence. Learn more about their mission and platform on the Yoona.ai website.
