Vogue publishes Guess ad with AI-generated model in August 2025 issue
Vogue's August 2025 US issue featured a Guess advertisement with an AI-generated model, disclosed only in small print. The disclosure sparked backlash from critics and models who expressed concerns about unrealistic beauty standards, potential harm to modeling jobs, and the use of real models' images to train AI systems without consent.
What happened
An advertisement for Guess appeared in Vogue's August 2025 US issue featuring a woman with blonde curls, tan skin, and slim figure, with a disclosure in small print stating the image was 'produced by Seraphinne Vallora on AI.' The ad showed two images of the model carrying a Guess bag and wearing a blue and white floral jumpsuit.
Seraphinne Vallora, an AI marketing company, created the advertisement. The extent of AI use is unclear — whether the image was based on a shoot with a real person or entirely fictitious.
Reported impact
Social media users described the use of AI models as 'war on art, fashion, and culture.' Critics raised concerns that AI models perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards similar to those already normalised in the fashion industry but at lower cost.
Model and author Leanne Maskell expressed concern that AI models are harmful, noting fashion is built on unattainable beauty standards. Model and futurist Sinead Bovell stated that AI models used in fashion were trained on real models' images often without consent, detaching models from their likeness and labour.
Index analysis
AI models can produce hyperrealistic images often trained on real fashion models' imagery without their consent. The practice raises ethical concerns about scraping public imagery without input or consent from models.
The disclosure in small print created ambiguity about whether readers could determine if an image was AI-generated, which critics described as dystopian.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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