Kerry Murphy
Co-founder and chief executive of The Fabricant
Kerry Murphy is co-founder and chief executive of The Fabricant, the Amsterdam company that started as the first digital-only fashion house and has since become an AI powered design platform for fashion professionals. He matters because he has led one of the few digital fashion pioneers through the shift from virtual garments and Web3 to generative design tools.
| Role | Co-founder and chief executive, The Fabricant |
|---|---|
| Company founded | 2018, Amsterdam |
| Background | 3D animation and motion graphics |
| Series A | 12.8 million euros (2022) |
| Current focus | AI powered fashion design platform |
Who is Kerry Murphy?
Kerry Murphy is the founder and chief executive of The Fabricant, a fashion technology company based in Amsterdam. Born in Finland, he left the country in 1995 and built a career in 3D animation and motion graphics before turning to fashion. He co-founded The Fabricant in 2018 with the designer Amber Jae Slooten, and later company coverage also names Adriana Hoppenbrouwer as a co-founder.
Career
Murphy met Slooten at her graduation from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute in 2016, and the two spent around two years developing the idea of a fashion house that would only ever produce digital garments. The Fabricant became known for the line that it "wastes nothing but data and exploits nothing but imagination", a phrase Murphy used to describe its mission in a 2022 interview.
Under his leadership the company has gone through several phases:
- 2018 to 2019: digital fashion house and agency, including the 2019 blockchain sale of the Iridescence dress
- 2022: a Series A round of 12.8 million euros led by Greenfield One, with Sound Ventures participating, to build The Fabricant Studio, a platform to create and own digital fashion
- 2024 to 2026: repositioning as an AI powered design suite that helps professionals visualise collections, digitise fabrics and generate e-commerce assets
Brands named as clients or collaborators include Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armour, Puma, H&M, Off-White and Timberland.
Influence on the fashion business
Murphy's influence lies in testing, early and in public, how digital assets can replace or complement physical samples and photography. The Fabricant's path also mirrors the wider market: from enthusiasm for virtual garments and Web3 towards practical AI tools that sit inside existing design and sales workflows.
Kerry Murphy and technology
Technology is the core of Murphy's work. In April 2026 The Fabricant launched Design Forward 26, a global competition giving fashion students and recent graduates access to its AI design platform. Announcing it, Murphy said: "The fashion industry is already being transformed by AI, and the designers who will define its future are studying right now." The competition was framed around the idea that AI should liberate the creative process rather than replace the designer's understanding of what is feasible, and the company presents AI as an integral part of industry workflows rather than a future consideration.
Why it matters
Murphy is one of the founders who has stayed with digital fashion through hype and correction. His company's move into AI design tools offers a reference case for brands considering generative AI for collection development and product imagery.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Kerry Murphy?
Kerry Murphy is co-founder and chief executive of The Fabricant, an Amsterdam fashion technology company founded in 2018. He came to fashion from 3D animation and motion graphics.
What has Kerry Murphy said about AI in fashion design?
Launching The Fabricant's Design Forward 26 competition in April 2026, he said that the fashion industry is already being transformed by AI and that the designers who will define its future are studying now. The competition was built on the idea that AI should liberate the creative process, not replace the designer's understanding of what is feasible.