What To Know
- New Face in Fashion—But She’s Not Human With luminous blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and near-perfect features, the model gracing the pages of Vogue’s August print edition is, at first glance, everything you’d expect from a leading fashion campaign.
- For the first time in the publication’s history, Vogue has featured a completely AI-generated model as part of a two-page advertisement for Guess’s summer collection.
AI News: New Face in Fashion—But She’s Not Human With luminous blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and near-perfect features, the model gracing the pages of Vogue’s August print edition is, at first glance, everything you’d expect from a leading fashion campaign. But there’s a twist—this model isn’t real. For the first time in the publication’s history, Vogue has featured a completely AI-generated model as part of a two-page advertisement for Guess’s summer collection. The digitally crafted face has ignited both fascination and fury online, raising serious questions about the future of modeling, inclusivity, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in fashion.
Vogue and Guess used an AI-Generated model for its August fashion spreads
Image Credit: Vogue
This AI News report explores how this virtual debut may signal a dramatic shift in the global fashion industry and why it’s already stirring heated controversy among industry experts and the public alike.
Behind the Scenes of a Digital Dream
The imagery was developed by Seraphinne Vallora, a London-based AI creative agency co-founded by two former architects, now digital visionaries. Their work blends fashion sensibility with machine learning, producing realistic campaign visuals tailored to brand aesthetics. After Guess co-founder Paul Marciano reached out via Instagram, the partnership was formed. The result: summery, sun-drenched visuals featuring a synthetic blonde model posing in floral and striped ensembles.
The process of generating these images was anything but simple. According to the agency, it involved weeks of refining textures, perfecting motion realism, and aligning every visual element with Guess’s creative goals. Though the ad includes a subtle note that the visuals are AI-generated, that hasn’t been enough to temper the backlash.
A Beauty Standard Built by Algorithms
Many readers and critics are alarmed. Some have accused Vogue of abandoning its credibility, while others worry that the use of synthetic models could worsen already unrealistic beauty expectations. Social media erupted with commentary questioning whether this signals the beginning of the end for human models.
An Australian fashion academic notes that brands may be turning to AI for cost-cutting reasons. AI-generated shoots eliminate the need for travel, stylists, and on-set logistics. Moreover, virtual models can be dropped seamlessly into any digital landscape, giving brands full artistic control over backgrounds and environments.
The usage of an AI-Generated model is causing an uproar among many women and organizations
Image Credit: Vogue
Is Diversity Being Left Behind?
Despite claims that AI could represent all types of beauty, the creators of the Vogue spread admitted a hard truth: whenever they programmed models with non-Eurocentric features or diverse body types, online engagement nosedived. They cited a startling 90% drop in reach—from 10 million monthly views to just one million—when showcasing more inclusive avatars.
This data-driven decision-making is worrying to many. A fashion industry analyst emphasized that recent progress toward inclusivity—embracing various races, body types, and trans identities—could be reversed if AI systems are not trained with consciously inclusive datasets. Meanwhile, advocates warn that AI risks reinforcing Eurocentric ideals like pale skin, straight hair, and slender bodies, potentially damaging self-esteem and distorting beauty perceptions.
A spokesperson from a major eating disorder foundation warned of rising cases of body image issues, noting that even when people know content is AI-generated, they still feel pressured to conform to its polished, often unattainable standards. A 2024 Dove report supported this, finding that nearly half of Australian women felt compelled to alter their appearance due to AI-modified content.
Fashion’s Future—Enhanced or Replaced?
While controversy swirls, Seraphinne Vallora maintains that AI models are not here to replace human ones, but to offer an efficient, creative alternative—especially for early-stage product rollouts and digital lookbooks. They argue that the technology enables more agile storytelling and rapid concept testing, key in today’s fast-paced retail climate.
Still, experts insist that AI should complement, not cannibalize, traditional fashion ecosystems. One fashion lecturer noted that while synthetic models could help reduce overproduction and unsold inventory—thus making fashion more sustainable—the technology must be clearly regulated. Crucially, there is no legal requirement in many countries, including Australia, to label AI-generated imagery.
“There’s still something irreplaceable about the human presence in fashion,” she said. “Authenticity, emotion, spontaneity—those can’t be manufactured.”
Where Do We Go from Here?
The inclusion of AI-generated models by global giants like Vogue and Guess marks a pivotal point in the convergence of fashion and technology. As algorithms increasingly shape the faces we see in advertisements, the industry must reckon with questions of representation, ethics, and reality itself. While some see AI as a revolutionary creative tool, others warn that it may become a dangerous mirror, reflecting and reinforcing the narrowest ideas of beauty. What’s clear is that the conversation is only just beginning—and the implications extend far beyond glossy magazine pages.
For the latest on AI usage in the fashion industry, keep on logging to Thailand AI News.
