Goddiva's Amber Domenech talks women, rise of AI, and the future of fashion e-commerce

International Women’s Day is a moment to reflect on progress, possibility, and the power of women shaping the future of business, observes Amber Domenech, Head of E-commerce at Goddiva.

As AI continues to transform industries at speed, fashion ecommerce sits at the centre of that evolution. The conversation is often framed around fear: Will AI replace us? Will creativity lose its human touch? At Goddiva, the women leading design, sales, marketing, e-commerce, and strategy see it differently. From their perspective, AI isn't replacing women in fashion. It’s amplifying their impact.

Akshi Shah Joshi, Lead Product Developer, sees AI as a creative partner rather than a competitor. “AI is not replacing the role of the designer, it is strengthening it,” she explains.

For her team, AI has become a space to test ideas, explore variations, and refine concepts before sampling begins. What once took weeks can now be visualised in minutes, from colourways and prints to fabric options and silhouettes. This results in tighter collections, stronger margin control, and fewer unnecessary developments.

Because experimentation is faster and lower risk, design teams can explore new fabric directions, trending colours, and print concepts without the heavy cost of physical sampling. Beyond creativity, AI adds a data driven layer to product development. By analysing past performance, sales trends, and customer behaviour, the team can validate design decisions and build smarter range plans.

Digital visualisation also reduces development waste, lowering costs and supporting sustainability. For Akshi, AI connects design and business into one cohesive strategy, empowering the team to work smarter while keeping creativity at the core.

From a sales perspective, Aswathy Vinod, Sales Merchandiser, believes AI has transformed how brands listen. “One of the most exciting shifts in ecommerce recently is how AI is transforming the way brands truly listen to their customers,” she says. Previously, decisions were guided mainly by historical data and trends. With the introduction of the Goddiva AI chatbot, customer queries, suggestions, and feedback are now captured in real-time.

Within months, clear patterns emerged around buying intent, preferred styles, fabrics, fit, and comfort. These insights encouraged deeper cross-functional analysis across the business. For Aswathy, AI works best as an enabler.

“AI is not a replacement for human roles,” she emphasises. Instead, it helps match the right products to the right customers with greater precision. Real-time insights allow teams to respond proactively, improve personalisation, and strengthen long-term customer relationships. The real value lies in combining data-driven intelligence with human understanding.”

In marketing, Lauren Khan, Brand Manager, describes AI as one of those tools you quickly can’t imagine working without. It helps identify overlooked opportunities, highlight trends, and bring structure to campaign planning, especially in fast-moving e-commerce environments. AI saves time by generating ideas, refining messaging, and supporting decisions with data led insights. This allows Lauren to focus more on creative direction and long-term brand positioning rather than getting lost in analysis.

However, she’s clear about the importance of balance. AI doesn’t always grasp brand tone, nuance, or emotional depth. Its suggestions can feel generic if relied on too heavily. For Lauren, the most effective approach is to use AI as support rather than a decision maker, combining its analytical strength with human judgement and brand understanding.

For myself, the shift has been both surprising and exciting. When I first encountered AI, I just saw it as a bit of fun, so it's honestly been a surprise how fast it's become such a huge part of my life. In my day-to-day role, I use AI constantly to clarify ideas, organise time, and monitor team progress.

I acknowledge the wider concern about job displacement but believe growth is the answer. As long as we’re willing to grow with AI, there’ll always be a crucial place for the human element that guides it. I’m particularly excited about practical applications within Goddiva, including intelligent search through the chatbot, size recommendation tools, and a virtual fitting room. These innovations will help reduce returns, lower logistics costs, improve customer confidence, and increase conversion rates. This is just the beginning of what’s possible.

At a leadership level, Narmina Melikova, CEO, frames AI within a broader societal context. “We often feel nostalgic, missing the days before constant notifications or rapid technological evolution,” she reflects. Discomfort is natural when change happens at speed, but AI’s arrival is inevitable. The more important question isn’t whether it will change our lives, but how we choose to position ourselves within that change.

As Narmina points out, even leaders like Mira Murati recognise AI’s transformative power. “Mira talks about AI changing the way we work, interact, and think,” Narmina says. “It’s a reminder that every aspect of life will be touched. That’s why we need to step forward consciously and boldly.”

Her message, particularly to women, is clear: start now. Be visionary. Be bold. Learn new skills. Understand AI instead of fearing it. Let technology handle repetitive tasks so we can focus on what makes us uniquely human: creativity, empathy, innovation, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence. The future isn't something that simply happens to us. It’s something we build consciously and confidently.

Together, these perspectives paint a powerful picture. Across product development, sales, marketing, ecommerce operations, and executive leadership, women aren’t being displaced by AI. They’re directing it. They’re shaping how it’s implemented, ensuring it supports creativity, strengthens customer relationships, improves sustainability, and drives commercial growth.

On International Women’s Day, that feels especially significant. AI may be transforming fashion e-commerce, but it’s women who are defining how that transformation unfolds. Technology will continue to evolve. So will we. And when innovation is guided by human insight, collaboration, and confidence, the opportunities ahead aren’t intimidating. They’re extraordinary.