Vogue Williams hates her name
The 39-year-old model - who has children Theodore, six, Gigi, five, and Otto, two, with husband Spencer Matthews - was teased in her teens because of her unusual moniker and is baffled as to why her parents chose something so "tacky".
She told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: 'Vogue is just very, very tacky. It's cigarettes and a Range Rover.
'It's not like [my mum] was some Jimi Hendrix kind of vibe person. She was very, very well behaved.'
Noting she wasn't bothered until she started getting teased in her teens, she added: 'Then around 18 and 19, it got cool again, and now I'm kind of going into the territory of, like, when I'm a granny, people saying, 'Who? Granny Vogue?''
Although Vogue and Spencer are frequently in the public eye, the My Therapist Ghosted Me podcaster has hired someone to look after her social media accounts and is trying to be online less because she thinks the internet has grown increasingly "negative".
She said: 'To be honest, we keep a lot of stuff private. We're open enough online.
'I don't have to be online too much. I think it's become quite a negative landscape. Look at that Coldplay couple. That just wouldn't have happened 15 years ago, and it's just gone viral. And everyone forgets there are families behind that who are really struggling. We're just turning it into memes...
'I've been in the firing line of so many things, and I'm like anybody else, it can deeply affect you. There's nothing you can control about it.
'You know your own truth. You know what's going on in our life. We know it's all bulls***. We all know they're just bored.'
However, Vogue recently received a message from a woman who wanted to apologise for a message she had sent her almost two years ago.
She recalled: 'She said, 'I'm really sorry I was having such a bad day that day. And I just, like, reread that message I sent you because something popped up on my phone from your stories.'
'I thought, fair play to you. You've actually come back after all that time and apologised – that's really impressive.'
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7NEWS
2 days ago
- 7NEWS
Your favourite new model? Total fake, literally
American Vogue's August 2025 issue has been making headlines — and not only for its cover featuring actor Anne Hathaway, who is back in the limelight as she films a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada. What has drawn much — if not more — attention can be found in the pages of the magazine: advertisements for the Californian clothing company Guess. At a cursory glance, nothing appears unusual: A Caucasian woman with wavy blonde hair, flushed cheeks and perfect teeth, bared in a wide smile, shows off a long stripe dress with a matching top-handle bag. In another image, she models a floral playsuit with a drawstring that cinches her waist. Yet, in small print on the page, it is revealed that the model was created using artificial intelligence. The campaign was developed by Seraphinne Vallora, a London-based AI-driven marketing agency, whose work has also been featured in titles including Elle, The Wall Street Journal and Harper's Bazaar. The discourse around the AI photos was ignited by TikTok user @lala4an, whose video on the Guess ad has since been viewed more than 2.7 million times. The revelation that AI models were inside the pages of Vogue sparked debate over what it might mean for real-life models pushing for greater representation and diversity, and consumers — particularly younger people — who often face unrealistic expectations of beauty. 'It's insane because it's not like we're short on people looking for modeling gigs or anything,' wrote one user on TikTok in a comment that, to date, has over 67,700 likes. 'So first normal women are comparing themselves to edited models ... Now we have to compare ourselves to women that don't even exist???' wrote another. Several people have since called for a boycott against Guess and Vogue. Guess did not respond to CNN's request for comment. While the Guess campaign was a commercial decision, it would have still required internal approval at Vogue to be printed. A Condé Nast spokesperson confirmed to CNN that an AI model has never appeared editorially in Vogue. Though, digitally created models have featured in international editions of the title: Vogue Singapore previously showcased AI-generated avatars in its March 2023 issue. (Vogue Singapore is a licensee and not owned or operated by Condé Nast.) 'We still hire models' Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu, the 25-year-old co-founders of Seraphinne Vallora, believe the outrage behind the Guess campaign is misplaced. Speaking to CNN on a video call, Petrescu explained that 'people think these images just came to be by AI, which is not true. We have a team, and we also still hire models.' Gonzalez and Petrescu were approached by Guess co-founder Paul Marciano to create AI models for the brand, they said. After reviewing multiple drafts, Marciano picked a digitally created blonde (Vivienne) and brunette (Anastasia) for further development. Both ended up being featured in Guess' ads, which appeared in Vogue and other magazines, Gonzalez said (though it was only Vivienne who went viral). To create the campaign, Seraphinne Vallora employed a real model, who, over the course of a week, was photographed in the studio wearing Guess clothing. That informed how the clothes looked on an AI model, said Gonzalez. 'We needed to see what poses would flatter the product most, and how it looked on a real woman. We cannot generate an image if we don't have an informed idea of what positions will be the most flattering,' she said. 'To create an AI model, it takes time, so we want to make sure that people engage with it.' Asked why brands wouldn't simply use a real model in their ads, Petrescu argued that AI gave clients greater choice and efficiency, by requiring less time and smaller budgets to execute than a typical marketing campaign. Seraphinne Vallora was initially founded as a jewellery label before pivoting into providing AI-led marketing services. 'We realised that to sell this jewelry, we had to put a lot of good content out there that attracted people. But we didn't have budgets at the time to hire real people to be the face of our brand, so we tried to make our own model,' Petrescu explained. As architecture graduates, both Petrescu and Gonzalez were well versed in photography, drawing and digital media, so they turned to AI to create a model that would tout their products online. The results, according to Petrescu, were positive. 'We had millions of views on our Instagram Reels and tens of thousands of likes on some posts,' she said. The novelty of an AI model has appealed to many, added Gonzalez. 'The reason it went viral was because people were like, 'oh my god, is she real?'' she said. Lack of diversity Guess is not the only brand to have used AI models. Last July, Mango introduced its first AI-generated campaign to promote clothing for teenage girls. In one image, a young woman is wearing a colourful co-ord set. While the garments shown were real and available to purchase, the model was entirely AI generated. In March 2023, Levi's said that it would begin testing AI-generated models to ensure more diverse body types and skin tones in its marketing. Those launches were also met with criticism, with some seeing the AI creation of a model — especially a person of colour — as a way for companies to profit from the appearance of diversity without having to invest in it, while also potentially pushing professional models out of their jobs in the process. Others feared the move would also negatively impact the livelihoods of photographers, makeup artists and other creatives traditionally involved in creating a campaign. In an October 2024 interview with Bloomberg, Mango's CEO Toni Ruiz justified the use of AI models, saying that advertising could be created more quickly. 'It's about faster content creation,' he said. Mango did not reply to CNN's request for comment. Levi's responded to criticism at the time of its announcement, clarifying that it was not 'a means to advance diversity' and the company remained committed to working with diverse models. The brand added it would not scale back live photoshoots with models. Noticeably, the AI models shared by Seraphinne Vallora on its Instagram are largely white and have conventionally attractive features, such as luscious hair, a fit body and facial symmetry, which align with widely held societal standards of beauty. Asked why there isn't greater diversity among Seraphinne Vallora's AI models, Petrescu said there were no technical limitations, but they simply followed directions from clients. She added that on testing a variety of models, they 'saw what works best with the public. We saw what people responded to.' The varied responses to their AI models have been considerable, said Gonzalez, with likes on a single Instagram post ranging from a few hundred going up to tens of thousands. 'To create an AI model, it takes time, so we want to make sure that people engage with it,' Gonzalez noted. For Sara Ziff, who started work as a model in New York at age 14 and is the founder and executive director of the non-profit organisation Model Alliance, the concerns around AI are not unfounded. As the technology becomes more widely adopted, Ziff argued that brands and creators must consider 'how it can best be rolled out and how it can be used responsibly,' she said. 'We need to ask who's getting paid, who's getting seen and who gets erased.' A future with digital doubles The rise of AI models is not worlds apart from virtual influencers, who are already overlapping with real-life ones. Digital avatars such as Lil Miquela and Shudu have large followings on social media and wear clothing from luxury brands like Prada, Dior and Calvin Klein. Neither digital model is Caucasian, and both have at least one white creator (Shudu was created by British visual artist Cameron-James Wilson and Miquela by Los Angeles-based creatives Trevor McFedries and Sara DeCou). Not all AI creations are entirely fictional, either. In March, H&M said that it would create AI 'twins' of 30 real-life models, with the intention of using them in advertising campaigns and social media posts. As part of the agreement, each model would own the rights to their twin, meaning they can book multiple photoshoots with brands (including H&M's competitors) and, in that sense, be in more than one place at once. The first images, using AI-made photos of models, were released this month. In a statement provided to CNN, H&M's chief creative officer Jörgen Andersson said the company would not change its 'human-centric' approach and was simply 'exploring how AI can enhance the creative process.' He added: 'We recognise that there are many questions and concerns around our engagement in AI, however, we are committed to approach this ethically, transparently, and responsibly.' Some luxury brands have experimented with technology to create digital doubles. In 2021, Dior created a digital version of real-life ambassador Angelababy (who has been dubbed the 'Kim Kardashian of China' due to her prolific appearances and extravagant lifestyle) to virtually attend its fashion show in Shanghai. A computer-generated version of supermodel Naomi Campbell appeared in Burberry's campaign that same year. Recalling her previous experience working for an online luxury retailer, Lara Ferris — now strategy director of Spring Studios, a global creative agency with clients such as Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford and Estée Lauder — said: 'Ten years ago, they tried to shoot products at volume. Clothes like T-shirts, shorts, coats and dresses would be photographed and transposed onto an online model. There was no human involved.' The use of AI models allows companies 'to create images at scale very quickly,' said Ferris. It's indicative of the rapid growth and globalisation of the fashion industry, which has created tremendous ethical and environmental problems. 'We've always struggled with appetite and demand, and this is how the industry keeps up. The fact that you can create an image and reproduce that across thousands of products is very mass. But does it feel premium? No,' she concluded. Michael Musandu, the CEO and founder of digital model studio which partnered with Levi's to create its AI models, said that the use of AI models in fashion is already more widespread than many realise, and that brands of all sizes are simply not disclosing it because there is no legal obligation to. The recent sale of Musandu's company to digital design firm Browzwear is a testament to the growing opportunities in the space, he said. Like many AI model creators, Musandu insists his work is supplementary and not intended to replace real-life models. 'We launched by solving a massive problem, which is people of color feeling underrepresented while shopping online. I never got to see models that looked like myself,' said Musandu, who was born in Zimbabwe, raised in South Africa, and studied computer science and AI in the Netherlands, where he is currently based. 'We need to ask who's getting paid, who's getting seen and who gets erased.' As diversity in fashion continues to be a priority, brands are still shooting with real models but using AI to increase their output, said Musandu. 'There is no brand that we work with that is scaling down on traditional photography.' Musandu added that it would be impossible to entirely replace real-life models, who 'can create genuine connection with consumers.' Spring Studios' Ferris agrees, noting that the most successful models and online influencers today, such as Julia Fox, Gabbriette and Olivia Neill, are not traditional in that they are not 'statuesque and don't speak,' but they have a large fanbase because they are 'really active online and engaged with their communities.' While it will become 'increasingly difficult' to tell an AI model apart from a real-life person online, Ferris argued that the latter's personalities will set them apart and become an even greater asset. Still, the further use of AI in fashion is just another potential risk for models, who have historically lacked protection in the workplace and across the sector. It's what the New York State Fashion Workers Act, which took effect in June, seeks to do (the new law, co-sponsored by Ziff's Model Alliance, regulates model management companies, provides complaint procedures and sets up penalties for violations). 'I don't think that the use of AI is inherently bad, but it will be used to exploit people without the proper guardrails in place,' said Ziff. The new law, she added, 'is not a silver bullet by any stretch, but it's a starting point.'
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Dua Lipa made a citizen of Kosovo
Dua Lipa has been awarded Kosovo citizenship. The Levitating singer was born in London to Kosovar Albanian parents and was serenaded by a children's choir as she received the honour from Kosovar president Vjosa Osmani on Thursday (31.07.25). The politician posted on social media platform X: "Welcome back home, Dua. "Dua and Kosovo have always been inseparable. From the world's biggest stages to the hearts of millions, she's carried our story with strength, pride and grace. She's pushed boundaries, made history, and reminded the world that greatness begins with knowing who you are and where you come from." The 29-year-old pop star previously had Albanian citizenship granted in 2022 - with the country's president Bajram Begaj describing her as a "simple girl" who has given "great pride" to the nation. He said at the ceremony: "It is a special pleasure to welcome the great artist Dua Lipa today. I say great artist, but she is also a simple girl, who has given the greatest pride to us, Albania, Kosovo and wherever there are Albanians in the world. Albanian youth is an example and a source of inspiration for you and you have shown that dreams can be achieved by working harder. Tomorrow we celebrate the 110th anniversary of the declaration of independence and today the joint meeting of the Assembly of Albania and the Assembly of Kosovo took place. "Although art is not related to politics, it brings all people together and with your art, you have brought us together in this jubilee year! On this occasion, I am pleased to grant you Albanian citizenship." Meanwhile, Dua confirmed in June that she and her actor partner Callum Turner were engaged after months of speculation following an Instagram post last Christmas that featured her with a diamond ring on her wedding finger. The Houdini hitmaker told Britain's Vogue magazine: "Yeah, we're engaged. It's very exciting." Of her ring, Dua added: "I'm obsessed with it. It's so me. It's nice to know the person that you're going to spend the rest of your life with knows you very well." The couple - who started dating in January 2024 - are yet to set a wedding date because of their hectic work schedules. Dua said: "I want to finish my tour, Callum's shooting, so we're just enjoying this period. "I've never been someone who's really thought about a wedding, or dreamt about what kind of bride I would be. "All of a sudden I'm like: 'Oh, what would I wear?'"
The Age
5 days ago
- The Age
Cutting through the Goop: What Gwyneth Paltrow's bio reveals
Amy Odell has collected enough Gwyneth Paltrow relics to open a private museum – or a shrine, depending on how you feel about jade eggs. 'I have all my Gwyneth stuff all around me in my office. Like, I have this …' the biographer says, brandishing a magazine spread with a wry smile, the kind that says: Yes, this actually happened. In the pages of Talk from the early 2000s, Paltrow's unmistakably serene face is photoshopped onto the body of a larger woman clad in black lingerie, posed just so. The stunt was part of the publicity blitz for Shallow Hal, that slapstick comedy which saw Paltrow declare 'every pretty girl' should be forced to try on a fat suit – all in the name of teaching Jack Black a lesson about inner beauty. Looking back, it's one of those moments that makes you pause and wonder: What was she thinking? But then, so many moments in Paltrow's career invite the same double-take. In Odell's new, already-headline-grabbing biography Gwyneth, each one slots into the larger puzzle of Brand Paltrow: the teary Oscar for Shakespeare in Love; the Hollywood boyfriends and headline splits; the jade yoni egg that launched a thousand think pieces (and a lawsuit); the ski trial 'I Wish You Well' sign-off that launched a thousand memes; and her latest role as 'temporary spokesperson' for tech company Astronomer after the Coldplay kiss-cam saga. Paltrow's quotes alone read like high satire: I would rather smoke crack than eat cheese from a can. Or: I can't pretend to be someone who makes $25,000 a year. The daughter of Hollywood royalty – Bruce Paltrow, the TV powerhouse and Blythe Danner, the Broadway darling – Paltrow had Spielberg in her corner as godparent and Madonna writing her notes urging her not to smoke. Odell traces the arc: from privileged upbringing to the big hits (The Talented Mr Ripley, Sliding Doors) and bigger flops (Duets, View From The Top); Paltrow's courageous involvement in denouncing the man pivotal in building her early career, Harvey Weinstein; motherhood and two marriages (one 'uncoupling'); and how she turned the mess of modern fame into an empire that taught every star how to monetise their name – one candle (not fit to print here) at a time. 'I was interested in Gwyneth because, love her or hate her, she has been in the public eye for 30 years, which in itself is extraordinary,' Odell says. 'And she is fascinating to a lot of people. She's also super polarising to a lot of people. And she's someone who, it seems like countless articles have been written about her, but I came to see that those barely scratched the surface of who she really is. She's a complicated person.' Around Odell is an archive of Paltrow-abilia that has helped her prise apart the contradictions of the modern celebrity goddess: vintage profiles, issues of Goop's short-lived print magazine, even Paltrow's high school yearbook, where she signs off to her privileged classmates with breezy words taken from the 1989 movie Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure: 'Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.' It's become part of the decor, Odell jokes, something Paltrow would probably abhor, given her luxury, minimalist aesthetic. Overlooking Odell's latest project from the bookshelves is the last one, Anna, her 2022 biography of Anna Wintour, the famously inscrutable Vogue editor. Wintour provided access to friends, colleagues and family willingly. Paltrow was trickier prey. Odell went back and forth with her team, hoping for co-operation from those close to Paltrow. While they originally agreed, Odell found herself stonewalled when she reached out to Paltrow's circle. Communication flickered on and off. It wasn't until the book was nearly finished that the final 'no' – including to a one-on-one with Paltrow – arrived. 'I don't think it's ever easy to do a book like this,' Odell says. 'But I'm persistent. If someone says no, I'm not afraid to call them back in a year and say, 'Hey, I'm finishing up…' And often, they'll talk.' The biography is full of delicious morsels for the internet to dine on: Paltrow has a parking spot at Goop HQ nicknamed the G-Spot. She enjoyed 'teabagging' during her short-lived relationship with Ben Affleck, and described ex-Brad Pitt as 'dumber than a sack of shit'. Jay-Z gave her music advice when she was considering making an album (fingers crossed!). She once encouraged Goop staff to clean up after themselves, posting in the Slack channel that 'someone tinkled' on an office toilet seat. Paltrow comes across as smart and sassy, completely out of touch yet shrewdly canny and naturally talented – a whirlwind of contradictions wrapped in a luxe cashmere sweater. 'She can be cold, she can be icy, she can be aloof. People compared her to Anna Wintour,' Odell says. 'But that said, she can also be incredibly charismatic and warm. If she wants to make you feel like you're her best friend, she's very good at it.' Odell's favourite gem after excavating Paltrow's public and private trail for three years, including conducting 220 interviews? Paltrow's late father, Bruce, liked the finer things and insisted on flying first class. Her mother, Blythe, was more frugal and often booked economy. This, Odell discovered, infuriated young Gwyneth, who once whinged: 'You mean we're not flying first class? We're flying no class?' But for all the tabloid-ready trivia, Odell is more interested in the big picture: what Paltrow means for the $6 trillion Big Wellness industry she helped create. Before it became par for the course – think Hailey Bieber's Rhode, Scarlett Johansson's Outset, or Jessica Alba's Honest Company – Paltrow realised that she could use her image to promote her brand instead of someone else's. She seems scrupulous about her own health, but just as ruthless about turning that obsession into profit. Goop launched in September 2008, first as a weekly email newsletter before expanding to include publishing, production, skincare, health, fashion, events and travel businesses, all carefully curating an idea of modern womanhood and wellness. 'She was the original influencer. She was monetising her influence. She was one of the first people, I think, in the public eye to do that,' Odell says. 'She's just really good at sort of playing on public perception of her. She tells personal stories to promote and sell the products.' It's easy to mock the pseudoscience and extravagance (Odell skipped the $700 signature cardigan, but tested the moisturiser and scalp scrub), but there's a much darker side too: the link between Goop's brand of 'wellness' and the growing distrust of Western medicine and scientific evidence. This is a company that once claimed women should steam their vaginas, promoted 'Body Vibes' stickers said to heal anxiety because they were 'made with the same conductive carbon material NASA uses' and claimed wearing a bra might cause breast cancer despite zero scientific basis. 'I think she did two things for the wellness industry that were really important,' Odell says. 'One, she gave it a rhetoric and a language. And we see similar rhetoric of Robert F. Kennedy Jr in the US talking about things like toxins, getting toxins out of our food, our bodies, our living spaces and our beauty products through clean eating, clean living, clean beauty. The other thing she did for wellness, that I think was really impactful, is she gave it a beautiful aesthetic.' Odell admits she's got the usual nerves on the eve of publication. She has no idea if Paltrow will flip through the pages over a cup of detox tea, but she doesn't see herself as going toe-to-toe with an institution. 'I think there are a lot of stories in the book that she'll be pleased with. There might be some that she's less pleased with,' she says. 'I think it takes some guts to write a biography in general. But no, I don't feel like I'm going up against somebody. That's not the idea. The idea is to start a conversation about a really interesting, impactful person.' Loading Odell's never met Paltrow, but if she did in the future have a chance to sit down with Paltrow, she'd start with the obvious: 'Why drink raw milk?' She's curious if Paltrow ever worries about the harm of putting out questionable health claims, of doubting doctors and scientists. 'And I would also like to know, what is her ambition? This is assuming she would tell me honest answers. I asked so many people what drives her, what motivates her, and that was a hard question for them to answer,' she says. For now, Paltrow isn't answering – but the empire rolls on. She's filming again (most recently kissing Timothée Chalamet on the movie set of Marty Supreme, in her first leading role since 2019). Goop's future is somewhat hazier: it's privately owned, but there were multiple rounds of lay-offs last year, and talk of a sale comes and goes. Next up for Odell? A break. 'I put a lot into the book, and I'm looking forward to being with my family. You know, I'm going to clean up my office and put all this shit into a box,' she says. And let's be honest, the Gwyneth Paltrow museum seems like it won't run out of curiosities anytime soon.
