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Vogue features first AI model in Guess ad, sparking industry, plus-size model backlash
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Vogue magazine has featured its first AI-generated model in a Guess advertisement, sparking controversy about beauty standards and the future of the modeling industry. The flawless blonde AI model, created by Seraphinne Vallora, appears in the August print edition promoting Guess’s summer collection, raising concerns about the impact on real models and consumers already struggling with unrealistic beauty ideals.

What you should know: The AI model was created by Seraphinne Vallora after Guess co-founder Paul Marciano approached the company on Instagram.

  • The creation process took up to a month and involved developing 10 draft models before selecting the final blonde and brunette versions.
  • Seraphinne Vallora, an AI model creation company, charges up to low six figures for clients like Guess and employs five people specifically for AI model creation.
  • While Vogue clarifies this was an advertising decision rather than editorial, it marks the first time an AI-generated person has appeared in the magazine.

Industry backlash: Plus-size model Felicity Hayward describes the move as “lazy and cheap,” warning it could undermine years of diversity progress in fashion.

  • “Either Guess is doing this to create a talking point and get free publicity or they want to cut costs and don’t think about the implications of that,” Hayward said.
  • She worries AI models represent “another kick in the teeth” that will disproportionately affect plus-size models who are already being booked less frequently.
  • The fashion industry had made significant strides toward inclusivity in the 2010s but has recently regressed, according to Hayward.

The diversity problem: Seraphinne Vallora’s founders acknowledge their AI images lack diversity but blame user engagement for perpetuating narrow beauty standards.

  • “We’ve posted AI images of women with different skin tones, but people do not respond to them – we don’t get any traction or likes,” explained co-founder Valentina Gonzalez.
  • The company claims it hasn’t experimented with plus-size models because “the technology is not advanced enough for that.”
  • A 2024 Dove campaign highlighted similar AI biases, showing image generators consistently producing young, thin, white women with blonde hair and blue eyes when asked to create “the most beautiful woman.”

Mental health concerns: Experts worry about the psychological impact of AI-generated beauty standards that are literally impossible to achieve.

  • Vanessa Longley, CEO of eating disorder charity Beat, called the development “worrying,” noting that “if people are exposed to images of unrealistic bodies, it can affect their thoughts about their own body.”
  • Unlike traditional airbrushing that starts with real people, AI models are “digitally created to look perfect, free from human flaws, inconsistencies or uniqueness.”
  • Former model Sinead Bovell warns that unlabeled AI content is “exceptionally problematic” for mental health, especially as “there are young girls getting plastic surgery to look like a face in a filter.”

Transparency issues: The UK has no legal requirement to label AI-generated content, and existing disclaimers may be too subtle for consumers to notice.

  • While Guess did label its AI model, the disclaimer appears in small print that readers might overlook.
  • The realistic appearance of AI models makes them nearly indistinguishable from real photographs at first glance.
  • Social media users have expressed concern, with one writing: “Even models can’t compete” with AI-generated perfection.

Industry impact: The technology raises questions about job displacement across the fashion industry beyond just models.

  • Sara Ziff, founder of Model Alliance, a workers’ rights organization in fashion, sees the AI campaign as “less about innovation and more about desperation and need to cut costs.”
  • Seraphinne Vallora’s website lists cost efficiency as a key benefit, noting it “eliminates the need for expensive set-ups, MUA artists, venue rentals, stage setting, photographers, travel expenses, hiring models.”
  • The company insists its technology “is supplementary and not meant to replace models,” though critics question this claim.

What they’re saying: Industry figures offer mixed perspectives on AI’s role in fashion’s future.

  • “We don’t create unattainable looks – actually the AI model for Guess looks quite realistic,” said Seraphinne Vallora co-founder Andreea Petrescu.
  • Tech entrepreneur Sinead Bovell predicts “we aren’t headed to a future where every model is created by AI” but expects increased usage.
  • She suggests society may eventually “opt out” of AI models because “it’s so unattainable and we know it’s not real.”

Looking ahead: The controversy highlights broader tensions between technological innovation and human representation in creative industries, with experts calling for meaningful worker protections as AI adoption accelerates.

What Guess's AI model in Vogue means for beauty standards

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