When Eva Herzigová first saw her digital twin, she likened it to “giving birth.” The Czech supermodel was looking at herself – or rather, a hyperrealistic 3D avatar of herself – rendered in finite detail. The virtual clone was the result of a collaboration between Herzigová, her agency Unsigned Group, and Dimension Studio, a London-based […]
When Eva Herzigová first saw her digital twin, she likened it to “giving birth.” The Czech supermodel was looking at herself – or rather, a hyperrealistic 3D avatar of herself – rendered in finite detail.
The virtual clone was the result of a collaboration between Herzigová, her agency Unsigned Group, and Dimension Studio, a London-based leader in virtual production and real-time 3D storytelling.
For Simon Windsor, co-founder and co-CEO of Dimension, this project was about bringing together and fusing “art and technology.”
Dimension has lent its production expertise to Hollywood titles like Wicked, Masters of the Air, and Venom: The Last Dance, as well as immersive experiences with brands such as Balenciaga, Nike, and Charlotte Tilbury. But digitising Herzigová marked something a little different: creating a fully realised digital version of a living person, complete with her look, mannerisms, and expressive presence.
The idea took shape in creative discussions with Unsigned Group.
“We were exploring different creative opportunities with Unsigned Group, who represent Eva Herzigová. Collectively we were interested in the concept of creating a digital twin of Eva that could be used in innovative new ways and open additional licensing possibilities for one of the world’s best-loved supermodels,” Windsor explains.
“Eva was perfect because she was enthusiastic and involved from the very beginning, acting as a key creative partner throughout the entire process.”
MetaHumans
To create the ‘MetaHuman’, Dimension used its scanning and character development pipeline, refined through previous work on projects like creating a virtual version of Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr. for Puma.
Herzigová underwent a full-body scan, using a multi-camera array, capturing around 150GB of data.
This raw material was processed into a 3D mesh capturing the exact texture and geometry of her face and physique.
From there, the artistry took over. “We used Epic Games’ MetaHuman Creator as the foundation, but everything was customised. Through a proprietary workflow, this mesh was customised and sculpted, with secondary and tertiary details added, and custom textures created to achieve Eva’s precise likeness,” Windsor states.
Character artists sculpted finer features, applied detailed textures in Substance Painter, designed hair in Maya using XGen, and styled clothing in Marvelous Designer – all under Herzigová’s watchful eye.
To bring her avatar to life, the model performed motion capture sessions at Dimension’s studio. Her gestures and iconic catwalk strut were encoded into animation data, later used in a sleek virtual runway created in Unreal Engine.
H&M introduces AI-generated model ‘twins’
“Eva participated in a motion capture shoot at our performance capture studio, generating the motion and animation data that gives Eva’s MetaHuman her authentic walk and poses,” Windsor says. “Creatively, the virtual environment was sophisticated and minimalist, this was intentional to ensure the focus was all on Eva.”
The result is an uncanny digital twin of Herzigová – recognisably her, yet unmistakably virtual. “This isn’t about tricking the viewer,” Windsor explains. “Eva’s MetaHuman isn’t designed to trick people into thinking it’s her; instead, we aimed for a hyperrealistic, high-quality look that is authentically Eva, while also recognising her as an avatar.”
Windsor stressed that they envision the digital avatar to “complement, rather than replace, the real person.”
That distinction is also crucial, especially with ethical concerns around AI-generated likeness and deepfakes gaining prominence.
Windsor emphasises that data privacy, protection, and ethical considerations are paramount in the creation of a digital twin, and that all parties took these responsibilities extremely seriously.
“Eva’s active involvement and consent throughout the process was the cornerstone of our ethical approach for this project,” he says.
“Eva wanted to be in control of commissioning her digital twin and proactive about exploring the potential of her digital identity, knowing that she has ownership of her IP and its usage.”
To maintain quality control and safeguard against misuse, Windsor adds: “To ensure responsible data management and quality control, Dimension and Unsigned jointly manage the production work for any avatar, keeping the asset secure from any bad actors.”
Extending her presence
So, if the purpose of this twin is to model virtual clothes, why does it need to be based on a real person?
For Herzigová, it was a way to extend her presence, not supplant it: “She loved the idea that her MetaHuman could be off walking the catwalk while she’s at home cooking dinner with her children,” Windsor says. “Eva’s MetaHuman can model digital clothing, appear in games and virtual worlds, or feature in mixed reality performances.”
And the possibilities don’t stop there. “It’s a new kind of asset, a brand extension that allows talent to be in multiple places at once.”
He claims that the utility is compelling for the fashion industry as digital models allow brands to escape the logistical and environmental constraints of physical photoshoots, and campaigns can be conceptual, fast-turnaround, and experimental.
Audience response to Herzigová’s MetaHuman has been positive, according to Windsor. “With Eva Herzigová being created as the world’s first MetaHuman supermodel, there was obviously a huge amount of interest in the project because it represented a significant leap forward in the digital fashion space.”
As more public figures explore digital doubles, the rules of engagement will evolve. For now, Dimension’s work with Herzigová serves as both proof of concept and artistic statement.
“This is just the beginning,” says Windsor. “The technology is poised to open new pathways not only in the digital world of fashion and communications but also across social media and other formats. Digital avatars can participate in those experiences, whether they’re catwalk shows, editorial shoots, or digital and social campaigns.”
In Eva Herzigová’s case, the future of fashion might just look a lot like her, only rendered in real time, pixel-perfect, and ready to take on the Metaverse.
