Novel Couture: 30+ AI-Crafted Dresses Inspired By Our Favorite Books
AI is being utilized more and more every day. You may think it can only be used by IT guys or Chat GPT experts, but it can also be used to create some pretty impressive things. It can make young people look old, show you what your future baby will look like, and, as you’ll see in our article today, design gowns based on books.
Audrey Engvalson is a BuzzFeed staff member and the artist responsible for this marvelous idea. She asked AI to create dresses from popular books like The Hunger Games and Twilight, and we’re here for it! Now, instead of waiting for your favorite author to release new content, you can feast your eyes on these gorgeous dresses. If you’re an avid reader, we guarantee you’ll adore them!
Silver Superman
For our first one, AI was tasked with creating a gown based on Metropolis from the Superman comics, and it understood the assignment. As the home of Superman and his allies, it makes perfect sense that ‘super’ people would walk around wearing silver suits.
We all love Superman’s iconic red and blue suit that he wears when he’s out fighting crime, but he may need an upgrade after existing since 1938! We may or may not be biased towards this silver super-suit *cough* DC Comics *cough*.
The Wonderful Emerald Gown
The Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz used to merely be a place Dorothy and her friends wanted to journey to, but now it’s also the inspiration for a beautiful gown we all want to wear. If there’s ever an Oz-themed Met gala, we’ll need to see this on the carpet.
The gold detailing complements the dress extraordinarily. It is most certainly something one would wear upon entering the Emerald City. The bold green shade and gold detailing will help you blend in just enough while also giving you an edge.
Tom Sawyer’s Gown
This AI thing is quite impressive. Not only can it generate book-based dresses, but it can even make it look like it’s being worn by a model at a fashion show. This venturesome gown is inspired by Tom Sawyer’s Island from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
We wouldn’t dare tell Audrey how to do her job, but we have one small suggestion. We’d love to see a gown based on another of Mark Twain’s classics, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Then we’d get the best of both worlds.
Wakanda Forever
We think it’s safe to say this is the perfect dress to represent Wakanda from the Black Panther Comics. If there’s a third Marvel movie for this franchise, we demand that the costume design department incorporate it into the film!
Not only is the dress immaculate, but even the model wearing it looks like one of the Wakandan warriors who protect the king. Here’s to hoping we’ll see it on the big screens in a few years (cue the Black Panther salute).
The Chronicles of Narnia-based Fashion
This Narnia-based dress is the perfect blend of pine forests and winter snow. It has all the elements of the book, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We can even detect a hint of the Great Lion Aslan.
It might just be us, but we are slightly disappointed that the dress is not wardrobe-shaped. It’s charming and everything, but there’s something about that mystical cupboard. We’re kidding, of course; imagine seeing a cabinet walking down a fashion runway!
Na Na Na Na … Batman!
If you are looking to appear dark and mysterious, this dress is the one for you. Somehow, AI managed to make the gown look even gloomier than Gotham City from the Batman Comics – and that is an incredible thing.
The background of Gotham City was a nice touch. We not only get to see a gorgeous Batman-inspired dress but also what it would look like in Gotham. If you live for everything DC Comics, this would make an excellent choice for a costume.
Two for One
Who knew a map would make for a beautiful dress? This Laputa dress from Gulliver’s Travels dress serves more than one purpose. Yes, it’s an elegant gown, but you can also use it if you get lost (or as something to look at when you get bored on the toilet)!
AI had a difficult job to do with this one. Laputa is a flying island with an educated elite as its population, so we had high expectations. And boy, did this gown live up to them. Now we wonder if the dress can fly too.
Here We Gooooo!
This Neverland dress from Peter Pan is the epitome of elegance. However, we are a bit disappointed that there’s no sign of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, or Captain Hook. They’re what make the story so iconic, so it doesn’t feel quite right.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this gown, it’s that antlers don’t just look good on deer. We have no idea why they’re in this dress, but we’re here for it. Of course, it’s probably a plant, but we like the idea of antlers way more!
Beast Bedeckd
We take back what we said about the Neverland dress – now these are Antlers! However, it must be super uncomfortable to wear. Imagine one of those things sticking into your back the entire time. But you know what they say – beauty is pain.
This spectacular creation was inspired by The Island of Doctor Moreau. The dress may seem like it represents a beautiful island, but the island is a darker place than you might think. Let’s just say the story involves human and animal hybrids.
Curiouser and Curiouser
Most of you can probably guess which book the next dress comes from. It’s the one and only Wonderland from Alice in Wonderland. You don’t need to lay all your cards on the table when wearing this dress – they’re already in plain sight.
It’s a good thing Alice wasn’t wearing this dress when she went down the rabbit hole. She never would have made it to Wonderland. That said, it’s still a stunning dress. But perhaps it’s missing something like … oh, we don’t know … the mad hatter’s hat!
Amity Island: The Land of Flying Sharks
We didn’t know we needed to see an AI-generated flying shark till now! The Amity Island-inspired dress from Jaws is cool and everything, but how can we be expected to concentrate on that when there is a sea creature in the air?
Although this is hysterical, we must give credit where credit is due. This gown is exactly what the ocean would look like in dress form. The gown has the colors of the ocean and beach sand, and its layers resemble waves. We’re impressed.
“Hold on Tight, Spider Monkey”
We’re not going to lie; we find this dress extremely creepy. It’s supposed to represent Forks, Washington from the Twilight series, but we don’t see it. Maybe it’s meant to resemble trees, yet that’s not even the most important part of Forks.
AI let us down with this one. It did a great job choosing a model who looks pale, tired, and, well, just like a vampire. However, the gown doesn’t have anything to do with the Cullens, Bella, or the rainy weather in Forks.
The Lord of the Dress
We know what Gollum would say about this dress, “my precious” – and we’d have to agree. It might be a good thing that there are so few women in The Lord of the Rings because all of them would be fighting over this Rivendell dress.
If you haven’t watched The Lord of the Rings yet, it might be useful to know a little bit about Rivendell. It’s a sanctuary home to a magical Elvish otherworld and an important setting in the book. AI was spot on in creating a dress that represents such a homely place.
Cosmic Garment
This galactic gown is based on a children’s novel called The Little Prince. It’s a story about a prince who visits various planets, and this dress happens to be based on one of them, Asteroid B-612. We’d say it’s a fairly accurate depiction of a planet.
Although we admire the asteroid-themed gown, it might have been better as a mini dress. Asteroid B-612 is a tiny planet that can only fit one person, some flowers, and three volcanoes. So, if you thought Pluto was small, guess again.
Shangri-La(vish)
If you like adventure and drama novels, Lost Horizon is the book for you. However, even if you are not into that kind of thing, you’ll probably fall in love with this dress anyway. It’s based on the setting of the novel, Shangri-La.
Shangri-La is a valley hidden in the Himalayas where a group of plane crash survivors find themselves. The book is as transcendent as the dress. It may be fictional, but we’d love to visit the place that made a gown this astonishingly stunning.
Who-apparel
Just like the inhabitants of Whoville from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, this dress is joyful, colorful, and inviting. This mystical town is located within a snowflake, which explains why it is so unique and why everyone is welcoming and kind-hearted.
Even though the bitter Grinch stole Christmas, we’re happy to report he had no impact on Whoville’s gown. There may be some green in there, but we’ll assume it’s part of the color scheme and not based on a strange sequel about how the Grinch stole a dress!
Hogwarts Honey
Are you a third-year Hogwarts student in need of an outfit for your weekend trip to Hogsmeade? No need to fear because we have a magical dress for you. You’ll definitely attract the attention of some wizard bachelors, and who knows, maybe even Harry! (Sorry, Ginny).
We’re sure you can tell by now that this dress is based on Hogsmeade from Harry Potter. It’s not only an impressive gown, but it probably has some mystical abilities like invisibility or teleportation. You better grab it while you can, or Hermione will “Wingardium Leviosa” it out of reach!
Majestic Naboombu
Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a novel filled with witches, spells, and sorcery, so it’s no surprise that this Naboombu Island dress is nothing short of magical. It’s one of the more extravagant dresses in this article with an accompanying headpiece.
As gorgeous as this dress is, we would have loved to see hints of the timeline the book took place in – the 1940s. It was a time of uncertainty and war, and we would’ve liked to see the chaos in the dress or at least in the background.
Welcome to Jurassic Park
It’s a bird! It’s … some other animal! No, it’s a dinosaur! This feathery gown is inspired by Isla Nublar from Jurassic Park. It’s an island just off the coast of Costa Rica where you would find the famous theme park.
Before you wonder why an island full of dinosaurs in the form of a dress would contain feathers, you should know that a lot of dinosaurs back then had feathers. Crazy right? They were just a bunch of oversized, carnivorous chickens!
Ghost Gown
You’re not alone if you thought you were gazing at another Harry Potter gown. This looks like something Bellatrix Lestrange would wear. But alas, it’s not. Rather, it’s based on Sleepy Hollow from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Even the title sounds like a Harry Potter novel.
We know, we know – we’ve been going on and on about Harry Potter, so we’ll stop now and tell you about the haunting dress of the hour. This isolated town is theorized to be a paranormal hotspot. That explains why the dress is so creepy.
We’re Going on an Adventure
If you’re a fan of J. R. R. Tolkien’s work, you are probably familiar with Middle Earth as it’s the setting where most of his novels take place. We’ve already seen The Lord of the Rings-inspired dress, so get ready for The Hobbit Gown.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be small, imaginary, or have hairy feet to wear this dress. We’re especially happy about that last part. Instead, you can frolic around in this bewildering gown inspired by nature as a human. Just watch out for those Hobbits (you don’t want to step on one).
The Perfect Dress for a ‘Little’ Get Together
How lucky are we? We not only got to see a Middle Earth dress inspired by The Hobbit but also a garment based on Hobbiton from the same novel. And somehow, this one is even more charming than the last.
If you’re ever invited to a Hobbit-themed party, you’ll be happy to know you have options to choose from. If you’re not into the idea of an off-the-shoulder green dress, you can wear the sophisticated gold and green Hobbiton dress.
Lady Gaga’s Dream Dress
Whatever age you are, you most likely know about Swallow Falls from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (hey, that rhymed!) Whether you have read the book or watched the movie, you have probably dreamed about living on the food-filled island.
You may not be able to eat this dress like you hoped, but it’s still quite appealing. There are images of food hidden throughout the gown, and even the yellow and white shapes resemble bananas. We suspect Lady Gaga would love this dress.
Busy Town’s Busy Dress
The Busy World of Richard Scarry is an oldie but a goldy. It was released in 1965 and features several anthropomorphic animals who encounter a conflict and aim to solve it in Busy Town. For many, it was their favorite childhood book and, eventually, TV show.
Now that you know what the book is about, the dress probably makes a whole lot more sense. It’s not just a gown filled with random animal-human hybrids and buildings. Instead, it is a story filled with adventure and teamwork.
Cue Mockingjay Bird Call
If you’re a Hunger Games lover, you will know how difficult it is to create a dress based on a state that consists of 13 districts and the Capital. With so many different themes, it’s a miracle this gown didn’t turn out ugly!
We may be glad that the dress isn’t busy, but it’s missing elements of some districts. Where’s the fishing district or the one that supplies lumber to Panem? It’s a glamorous dress of the coal mining district or the Capitol, but definitely not the whole of Panem.
The Giant, Furry Dress
You know The Lorax? That book and movie with the little orange man with a white mustache. Well, this dress is exactly what the Lorax’s mustache would look like as a gown. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Unfortunately, this gown isn’t inspired by the Lorax’s facial hair. It’s supposed to be based on Thneedville – the town where the story of The Lorax takes place. And if you’re familiar with it, you know the town isn’t primarily yellow, so this dress remains a mystery.
Stealing our Hearts
This is what we like to see – an AI-generated dress that looks exactly like what we pictured. If you couldn’t already tell, this gown is based on Nottingham from Robin Hood. With a dress like this, we might need to change it from Robin Hood to Robyn Hood.
As much as we love the look of this garment, we have to admit that it’s probably not practical for robbing the rich. There are an endless number of places that cape could get stuck in. Hopefully, everyone will be too mesmerized by the dress to suspect anything.
More than just a Dress
Just in case you were wishing there was a second Gulliver’s Travels dress, we included another from the island of Lilliput. This one doesn’t have a map for you to read at your leisure, but it does have some pretty flowers for you to gaze at.
Have we mentioned how much we love AI’s inclusion of plus-sized models? Although it’s only been incorporated a couple of times, we’re impressed it thought to add it. This shows that the development of AI is heading in the right direction. At least in that regard.
Open House
We are not sure if there would be a huge market for this dress. We get that it’s an AI-generated dress version of The Little House from The Little House on the Prairie, but it probably sends the wrong message.
Even though we would be concerned about something entering the skirt area through the front door of the house, we must say it’s a fascinating concept. We wonder if we’ll see this in a fashion show or at the Met Gala anytime soon.
A Genovian Dream
If you were a teenager in the 2000s, you probably dreamed of discovering you’re a princess of a European country like Genovia. Unfortunately, Genovia doesn’t exist, but we have good news. You don’t need Genovia to be a princess – this Genovian dress will do that for you.
If there’s ever a reboot of The Princess Diaries, we need to see Anne Hathaway wearing this dress at one of the balls. She may have already met her Prince Charming, but that doesn’t mean she can’t make everyone else’s jaws drop!
Forbidden Frock
We’re pretty sure almost everyone knows about or has read this next book. This floral dress is inspired by The Garden of Eden from The Bible. No one should tell Eve about this one. Who knows what could be worse than being banished from paradise?
The gown might be just as beautiful as The Garden of Eden, but it’s missing something. There’s no forbidden fruit or serpent to entice you to eat it. But perhaps that’s a good thing – we don’t need history repeating itself.
The Real Mad Hatter
Maybe it’s just us, but AI might’ve mixed up the Popeye comics with Popeyes the restaurant. If you’re familiar with the comics, you might think this slightly resembles Sweethaven, but for the most part, the orangey-red and white match the fast food chain’s logo.
We are no fashion gurus, but something about that red hat does not agree with us. Sure, it matches the color scheme of the dress, but it was very unnecessary. Now, she looks more like Popeye than a runway model.
“It Never Hurts to Keep Looking for Sunshine”
As a dress based on The Hundred Acre Wood from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, we were expecting something a little less gown-like. Perhaps just a red T-shirt with an interesting skirt that pays tribute to Winnie the Pooh.
Of course, we didn’t expect the whole ‘no pants’ thing. No one wants to see that on anyone else except Mr. Pooh himself. That said, this dress is the perfect representation of the book and the happiness it brought us as children.
Venture Vogue
If you’re looking for an adventure and a dress to go along with it, Treasure Island is the book (and dress) for you. You may think it would be hard to look for gold in a dress, and well, it is. But at least you’ll look incredible while doing it!
Dresses and islands seem like they wouldn’t make a good combination, but AI has, somehow, blended the ideas perfectly. Now, instead of wasting your time searching for the perfect dress, you can use this one to find the buried treasure.
“Even the smallest one can change the world”
There seems to be a pattern here. This is the second AI-generated dress based on a book with a forbidden garden of sorts. Only this time, we’re not talking about The Garden of Eden. Instead, feast your eyes on Mr. McGregor’s garden from Peter Rabbit.
Looking at this dress, we can understand why Peter Rabbit disobeyed his mother’s orders to enter this delightful garden. We would do it too. Although, we’re wondering if he ate all the fruit and vegetables off of this garden gown as well.
Under the Sea
Aren’t you glad we left the strangest one for last? AI wanted us to get the full picture when it spat out an octopus/human wearing this aquatic gown. And to be honest, we don’t hate it. This might be our next beach outfit!
Ironically, The Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (the setting and novel this dress is based on) isn’t some magical underwater kingdom inhabited by sea creatures/human hybrids. It’s really a ship used to travel under the sea. We feel kinda misled.