Purpose This study addressed how Chinese consumers perceive and evaluate AI-designed luxury fashion products compared to human-designed alternatives, with a particular focus on the roles of prior brand purchase experience and perceived brand authenticity in shaping consumer responses. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was employed. Study 1 analyzed open-ended survey responses from 97 Chinese consumers using topic modeling and sentiment analysis. Study 2 used an experiment with 496 Chinese consumers to investigate the effect of the AI (vs human) designer type and prior luxury brand purchase experience on consumer responses. Findings Study 1 revealed three primary themes in consumer responses to AI-driven luxury fashion design – AI design curiosity, fashion experience and luxury authenticity – identified through topic modeling and sentiment analysis. Study 2 demonstrated that prior brand purchase experience moderates the relationship between designer type (AI vs human) and consumer evaluations via perceived brand authenticity. Specifically, consumers without prior experience perceived AI-designed products as less authentic, leading to lower brand attitudes and willingness to pay, whereas this effect was absent among experienced consumers. Together, these results provide a comprehensive understanding of Chinese consumers’ nuanced responses to AI-driven luxury design. Originality/value This research provides empirical evidence on consumer attitudes toward AI-designed luxury fashion, with a particular focus on how prior purchase experience influences consumer brand evaluations. Our findings advance the literature on AI applications in luxury branding and offer practical insights for luxury brand managers operating in the Chinese market.
