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AI models and the revolution in the world of fashion

2024-08-18 14:02:00, Tech CNA

AI models and the revolution in the world of fashion

Illustration photo, source: Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images

The year 2024 is already a historic year. For the first time in the history of the Miss World beauty pageants, a computer-generated beauty queen was chosen this year. The world's first Miss Artificial Intelligence, AI is virtual influencer Kenza Layli, who won the competition against 1,500 other virtual contestants. The fictional Miss in a golden hijab was created by Myriam Bessa, founder and head of Moroccan IA agency Atelier Digital. She was announced as the winner on July 8 by the World Association of AI Creators Awards (WAICAS).

The Mango brand sets the trend

Are real models coming to an end soon? Even if this question cannot be definitively answered, one thing is certain: AI is revolutionizing the fashion industry. Spanish fashion brand Mango shows where it's going. For the new collection "Sunset Dream" no more real models appeared in front of the camera. Only the clothing in the photo is actually designed on the models of Artificial Intelligence. Mango's campaign was not the only innovation in this sector. Last year, it was the Levi's brand that grabbed media headlines with virtual models and a collaboration with Dutch startup Lalaland, which produces AI models for e-commerce.

"Artificial intelligence is causing tremendous change in the fashion industry," writes Max Dewood of US marketing agency Reverb, which specializes in AI. "Brands such as Zara, H&M, Nike, Levi's ASOS and Burberry are demonstrating how AI it's already being used to identify and leverage trends, improve customer care, optimize search and personalize shopper behavior."

Mango's AI campaign .- model generated by Artificial Intelligence. Photography: Mango

Dove: "Real models instead of AI images"

Only one brand is deliberately refusing to follow the trend: Dove. In an announcement in May this year, the company, which is part of the British Unilever group, promises "to never display AI images of real women and never use digital fakery to show unrealistic, distorted looks and beauty flawless 'perfect' made possible by the use of image processing."

Reason: In a study conducted by the group entitled "The Real State of Beauty: A Global Report" it is proven that AI models and AI influencers put pressure especially on women and young girls with their perfect appearance. For example, most 14- to 17-year-old girls agreed with the statement, "Plastic surgery helps you feel more comfortable in your body." Approval rates were particularly high in Brazil (70%) and China (57%).

About 33,000 people in 20 countries were surveyed for the study. This included 14,000 women and 4,000 men aged 18 to 64, and 9,500 girls and 4,700 boys aged ten to 17.

Illustrative photo, source: Nikita Kobrin/PantherMedia/IMAGO

Men would like more muscles

Men and boys are also under pressure to optimize their appearance. 79 percent of men and 74 percent of boys said they didn't think their bodies were muscular enough. On average worldwide, 68 percent of men and 59 percent of boys said they felt pressured to look more attractive.

Brazilian activist Beta Boeschat, who worked on this study, confirms that there is a growing general dissatisfaction with appearance. "The more tools available to change our appearance, the more the pressure increases to achieve the digital ideal of beauty physically and in reality," she told DW.

She sees proof of this in the growing number of cosmetic surgeries around the world. Surgical intervention has now become more affordable and easier. "It increases the pressure to optimize yourself not only for women, but also for men," says Boechat.

Digital beauty and the real look

Helmut Leder, professor of empirical aesthetics in the psychology department at the University of Vienna, also expressed concern to DW about the pressure arising from the gap between ideals of digital beauty and the real world. "This is a very dramatic problem," says Leder.

He clarifies: "Artificially produced faces are of skin perfection, perfectly proportioned and almost all correspond to a general ideal of beauty." According to the psychologist, "in a world in which we are not faced with real people, but with many artificially decorated faces, the individual desire to be attractive and beautiful is very great."

Sophia Loren, photo: Jörg Schmitt/dpa/picture-alliance

Beauty filters

For artificial beauty developer Milla Sofia, virtual models aren't some big drama, but examples of social transformation fueled by artificial intelligence. On their website, they let the virtual model speak for herself trying to remove concerns about digital beauty. "The beauty filters popular on social media have increased the pressure on appearance," he says. "With AI, changes are simply easier; they are just another step in the already existing trend towards self-optimization." While British beauty expert Sally-Ann Fawcett sees the AI ??revolution in the fashion industry as an opportunity for more female presence. The author was a member of the jury at the competition of beauty "Miss IA 2024". "In the 70s, most beauty pageants were organized by men," she told Time magazine. "Now 95 per cent of all beauty pageants in Britain are run by women.

Activist Beta Boechat, on the other hand, fears a rollback of the "body positivity movement", which has campaigned for the removal of unrealistic and discriminatory beauty ideals for decades. Activists are finding this out now, she told DW. "AI is reaching society at a very sensitive moment," notes Boechat. "Aesthetic demands are increasing and movements against the power of the cult of the body have weakened"./ DW