AI-GENERATED FASHION MODELS IN E-COMMERCE

Fashion retailers are adopting AI-generated avatars at a faster rate in 2025, which will change the way clothing is modeled, advertising is filmed, and narratives are presented.

• By empowering models with the production of 'digital twins '- virtual replicas of real-life models (like Mathilda Gvarliani), H&M has garnered attention. This approach not only decreases the need for expensive photo shoots but also ensures that the models themselves have complete ownership and control over these AI models, thereby promoting ethical standards in the industry.

• Up to 70% of editorial images are now AI-generated, and Zalando reduced the time needed to produce pictures from 6–8 weeks to just 3–4 days. These digital twins significantly reduce expenses while ensuring visual coherence across campaigns.

• When Vogue's August 2025 issue included spreads that were marked as 'produced with artificial intelligence,' it sparked controversy in the industry. Some saw it as a technological leap, while others, particularly longtime readers, criticized it for what they perceived as a deviation from real editorial storytelling.

By giving models authority over their virtual counterparts and incorporating transparent watermarking, a process that ensures the AI-generated content is marked as such, H&M is once more promoting moral and legal standards. This commitment to ethical and legal standards in AI-generated content ensures the security and integrity of the fashion industry, providing reassurance to industry professionals and students. Thanks to startups like Lalaland.ai, the fashion industry is witnessing a significant shift towards diversity and inclusivity.

These startups enable fashion brands to create model avatars with diverse representation in a matter of minutes, revolutionizing accessibility and fostering a larger movement towards sustainability and inclusivity. This promises a more diverse and inclusive future for the industry, instilling a sense of optimism among industry professionals and students.

This change in AI speeds up content creation, reduces production costs, and enables brands to customize imagery for target audiences. Authenticity, model rights, and creative integrity issues, however, continue to be significant points of contention.

The Raffles Jakarta Edge: Fashion & Marketing Education Powered by AI

The next generation of AI-native fashion marketers and strategists is being trained at Raffles Jakarta. Students who complete our AI-Driven Marketing & Fashion programs are prepared to:

• Handle the technical and ethical complexities of AI-generated content.

• Develop concept-to-campaign solutions with the aid of digital twins, virtual influencers, and Lalaland.ai.

• Reimagine e-commerce storytelling by utilizing immersive technology, data analytics, and generative modeling.

Our graduates lead innovation rather than merely following it. This is the place for you if you're passionate about using strategic, ethical AI to shape the digital transformation of fashion.

Arman POUREISA

Marketing Manager

Business Management Lecturer

Raffles Jakarta

References

Business of Fashion. (2025, March 25). H&M knows its AI models will be controversial. Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/technology/hm-plans-to-use-ai-models/

Financial Times. (2025, July 13). Strike a pose: AI takes to the catwalk. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/a9416d75-9ebd-46a1-ae31-0c60545070d0

Reuters. (2025, May 7). Zalando uses AI to speed up marketing campaigns, cut costs. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/zalando-uses-ai-speed-up-marketing-campaigns-cut-costs-2025-05-07/