She has sleek blonde hair, a delicate nose and flawless features.<\/p>\n
But she is not real.<\/p>\n
For the first time in history, Vogue has featured an AI model in its pages.<\/p>\n
The two-page spread, an ad for Guess’s summer collection, is in the fashion bible’s August print edition.<\/p>\n
But it has sparked significant online controversy, with some claiming it threatens diversity in fashion and reinforces already unattainable beauty standards.<\/p>\n
Others say it calls into question the future of real models.<\/p>\n
Here’s what we know.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It’s the first time Vogue has featured an AI model in its pages. (Supplied: Seraphinne Vallora)<\/p>\n
Who created the images?<\/p>\n
The images were created by London-based AI marketing agency Seraphinne Vallora.<\/p>\n
Co-founded by former architects Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu, the company builds fashion campaigns for major brands using artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
“When we started, no one was doing this,” the co-founders told the ABC in a statement.<\/p>\n
“But with the global attention we’ve received and the results we’ve shown, we’re seeing a massive shift in awareness.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu are the co-founders of Seraphinne Vallora. (Supplied: Seraphinne Vallora)<\/p>\n
They scored the Guess campaign after co-founder Paul Marciano “slid into their DMs” on Instagram.<\/p>\n
Once they’d worked with the brand to learn their creative vision, Seraphinne Vallora generated the imagery.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The resulting Vogue spread featured summery images of a blonde model wearing a floral mini dress and a striped maxi dress.<\/p>\n
In one corner, there’s a subtle disclaimer that the images are AI-generated.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Vogue printed a tiny disclaimer in the top-left corner of the right page (circled in red). (Supplied: Seraphinne Vallora)<\/p>\n
What has been the response?<\/p>\n
Vogue has faced online backlash for including the ad in its latest print edition.<\/p>\n
One reader says the magazine had “lost credibility”.<\/p>\n
Others pointed out that with the rise of AI, even models would not be able to compete with unrealistic beauty standards.<\/p>\n
Vogue directed the ABC’s inquiries to Guess, which did not respond by the deadline.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Seraphinne Vallora created several AI-generated images for Guess. (Supplied: Seraphinne Vallora)<\/p>\n
RMIT fashion lecturer Rashmita Bardalai says Guess may have opted for an AI-generated model to cut the costs of traditional fashion shoots \u2014 both logistical and financial.<\/p>\n
“It also gives them control over styling environments, so they can place models in any type of digital world,” she said.<\/p>\n
How could this impact beauty standards?<\/p>\n
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”.<\/p>\n
This includes different body types and facial features.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“We’re simply reflecting what has been established culturally and what audiences still respond to today.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Seraphinne Vallora says the AI-generated images on their Instagram page are a response to audience behaviour. (Supplied: Instagram\/@seraphinnevallora)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
She says it’s crucial AI is trained with unbiased datasets, to ensure it doesn’t promote “outdated beauty norms”.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Seraphinne Vallora designed a brunette AI model for Guess as well. (Supplied: Seraphinne Vallora)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n