Her features are flawless. But this blonde, blue-eyed Vogue model isn't real

Australia Broadcast Center

4 days ago

She has sleek blond hair, a delicate nose and flawless features.
But she is not real.
For the first time in history, Vogue has featured an AI model in its pages.
The two-page spread, an ad for Guess's summer collection, is in the fashion bible's August print edition.
But it has sparked significant online controversy, with some claiming it threatens diversity in fashion and reinforces already unattainable beauty standards.
Others say it calls into question the future of real models.
Here's what we know.
The images were created by London-based AI marketing agency Seraphinne Vallora.
Co-founded by former architects Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu, the company builds fashion campaigns for major brands using artificial intelligence.
"When we started, no one was doing this," the co-founders told the ABC in a statement.
"But with the global attention we've received and the results we've shown, we're seeing a massive shift in awareness."
They scored the Guess campaign after co-founder Paul Marciano "slid into their DMs" on Instagram.
Once they'd worked with the brand to learn their creative vision, Seraphinne Vallora generated the imagery.
It's a process they say can take several weeks and hundreds of iterations, as they work to perfect the texture, movement and details of the advertised product.
The resulting Vogue spread featured summery images of a blonde model wearing a floral mini dress and a striped maxi dress.
In one corner, there's a subtle disclaimer that the images are AI-generated.
Vogue has faced online backlash for including the ad in its latest print edition.
One reader says the magazine had "lost credibility".
Others pointed out that with the rise of AI, even models would not be able to compete with unrealistic beauty standards.
Vogue directed the ABC's inquiries to Guess, which did not respond by the deadline.
RMIT fashion lecturer Rashmita Bardalai says Guess may have opted for an AI-generated model to cut the costs of traditional fashion shoots — both logistical and financial.
"It also gives them control over styling environments, so they can place models in any type of digital world," she said.
Seraphinne Vallora says while they can create any kind of model, they've noticed online engagement plummets as soon as they experiment with "more diversity".
This includes different body types and facial features.
"Our reach would drop from 10 million views per month to just 1 million. That's a 90 per cent decrease," they said in a statement.
"We're simply reflecting what has been established culturally and what audiences still respond to today."
Dr Bardalai says fashion has made "real progress" in diversity in recent years, platforming models with different body types, ages, ethnicities and abilities, as well as trans models.
She says it's crucial AI is trained with unbiased datasets, to ensure it doesn't promote "outdated beauty norms".
The Butterfly Foundation's Melissa Wilton says AI models may spark a surge in disordered eating, as people pursue increasingly "unrealistic and unattainable" beauty ideals.
She said a 2024 Dove report showed almost 50 per cent of Australian women felt pressured to alter their appearance because of online content, even when they knew images were fake or AI-generated.
"AI may also reinforce Eurocentric beauty ideals, such as light skin, straight hair and thinness, while also excluding racial minorities," she said.
Seraphinne Vallora say they expect demand for their AI-generated models will explode in the coming years.
However, they say they don't want to replace traditional methods, but offer a faster, lower-cost "creative alternative".
Meanwhile, Dr Bardalai says while AI offers "really exciting potentials" in the fashion space — including supporting sustainable design and reducing purchase returns — it's crucial it's properly regulated.
She says AI images must also be clearly labelled — currently not a legal obligation in Australia.
But while AI models could "disrupt workflows" in certain fashion productions such as pre-launch teasers and lookbooks, Dr Bardalai says there's little risk they'll replace real-life models entirely.
"How do we use this as a tool and not as a substitute?" she says.
"But the human touch, the emotional intelligence — of course, that remains irreplaceable."