Fashion retailer H&M is using AI by partnering with models to create digital replicas for use in marketing campaigns and social media posts. According to The Business of Fashion the Swedish retailer plans to produce digital twins of 30 models, with the models themselves retaining ownership rights over their virtual counterparts. This approach aims to balance […]
Fashion retailer H&M is using AI by partnering with models to create digital replicas for use in marketing campaigns and social media posts.
According to The Business of Fashion the Swedish retailer plans to produce digital twins of 30 models, with the models themselves retaining ownership rights over their virtual counterparts.
This approach aims to balance AI’s potential with the protection of human model rights.
Vilma Sjöberg, the first model to see her digital twin, described the experience as both “exciting and unsettling.” She was surprised by the accuracy, noting even her boyfriend struggled to distinguish between her AI-generated twin and her real self.
“It’s a picture of me, but it’s not me,” Sjöberg said. “It was interesting how good it actually was.”
Jörgen Andersson, H&M’s chief creative officer, acknowledged that AI’s expansion will spark mixed reactions – and fashion usually thrives off such controversy.
“People will be divided,” he said. “You know, ‘Is this good? Is this bad?'”
Andersson believes AI’s presence in fashion is inevitable. “We saw that as a way, as a big player in the industry, to lead a conversation that takes the model, the agency and the best interest of the fashion industry into consideration,” he added.
By allowing models to control their digital twins, H&M hopes to empower talent to profit from their virtual likeness.
H&M digital twin of model Vilma Sjöberg
These AI duplicates can be licensed not only to H&M but also to its competitors, giving models broader earning potential.
While this strategy appears model-friendly, concerns remain about its impact on other fashion industry professionals, such as photographers, stylists, and makeup artists, whose roles may diminish as AI becomes more prominent in content creation.
H&M intends to follow traditional licensing structures, where fees are based on image use, markets, and campaign duration. However, concerns persist that brands may exploit AI to cut costs, potentially underpaying models or reducing jobs for other creatives.
Other fashion brands have explored similar initiatives in the past, two years ago denim brand Levi’s previously attempted to introduce AI-generated models to enhance diversity in its marketing but scrapped the plan following public backlash.
The Estee Lauder Companies are using AI for tasks such as editing imagery and generating pictures of obscure ingredients but producing pictures of humans remained “off limits”
