Vogue’s Ai Model Ad Sparks Backlash – Unrealistic Beauty Standards?

In a first for nan iconic manner magazine, Vogue featured an AI-generated exemplary successful its August 2025 people version – sparking fierce backlash from readers, campaigners, and models alike.

The arguable double-page Guess advert, created by AI agency Seraphinne Vallora, showed hyper-realistic women modelling nan brand’s latest summertime collection. Only a mini people explanation revealed she was not real.

“This is nan guidance AI should not beryllium going in… wow,” wrote 1 shocked scholar connected X.

AI successful fashion

Seraphinne Vallora, founded by Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu, says nan run was commissioned by Guess co-founder Paul Marciano via Instagram.

“We created 10 draught models… he selected 1 brunette female and 1 blonde that we went up and developed further,” Gonzalez told nan BBC.

She added that creating AI models is simply a analyzable process, pinch prices reaching “low six figures” per campaign.

But location is simply a cost-saving appeal. The company’s website states it “eliminates nan request for costly set-ups, MUA artists, venue rentals, photographers, recreation expenses, hiring models.”

Plus-size exemplary and activistic Felicity Hayward called nan move “lazy and cheap,” suggesting brands are chasing headlines alternatively than supporting existent talent.

“It’s very disheartening and rather scary,” she told nan BBC. “This will disproportionately impact plus-size models.”

Hayward isn’t unsocial successful her criticism. Critics reason that AI models, often digitally perfected and lacking real-world diversity, could undo advancement made successful manner inclusivity.

A immense Dove run successful 2024 highlighted AI’s built-in bias. Asked to create “the astir beautiful woman,” nan AI generated thin, young, white, blonde figures – very akin to nan AI Guess model.

Even Seraphinne Vallora admits its Instagram provender lacks diversity. “We’ve posted AI images of women pinch different tegument tones, but group do not respond to them,” Gonzalez said. “At nan extremity of nan day, we are a business.”

The agency besides says it hasn’t developed plus-size models, claiming “the exertion is not precocious capable for that.”

Mental wellness and misleading beauty

Former exemplary and tech entrepreneur Sinead Bovell warned that not intelligibly labelling AI contented is “exceptionally problematic.”

“There are young girls getting integrative room to look for illustration a look successful a select – and now we spot group who are wholly artificial,” she told nan BBC.

“The mag is seen arsenic nan ultimate tribunal of nan manner industry,” Bovell said. “So allowing nan AI advert to tally intends they are successful immoderate measurement ruling it arsenic acceptable.”

While AI models mightiness beryllium cheaper and faster to create, they raise pressing questions: What happens to existent group down nan scenes – models, stylists, and constitution artists?

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