From virtual influencers to AI-generated fashion campaigns and photorealistic avatars of real models, fashion’s creative process is evolving faster than ever. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a wave of new tools and experimental applications hit the industry, each challenging traditional workflows and redefining what it means to be a creator, model, or marketer.
Here are five of the most talked-about AI tools and innovations shaping the fashion industry right now.
H&M is digitising its physical models
Swedish fashion giant H&M is taking a proactive, transparent approach to generative AI by developing “digital twins” of 30 real-life models. These AI-generated avatars are hyper-realistic replicas created in collaboration with the models and their agencies and designed for use in marketing materials and social media.
“It’s a picture of me, but it’s not me,” said model Vilma Sjöberg, one of the first to be digitised, to Business of Fashion. “Even my boyfriend couldn’t tell the difference between the real me and the AI version.”
The initiative isn’t just about saving costs or speeding up production. It’s a response to growing concerns over job security and ethics in a rapidly digitising creative industry.
“People will be divided. You know, ‘Is this good? Is this bad?’” said Jörgen Andersson, H&M’s Chief Creative Officer. “But 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.”
The models retain full ownership of their digital twins and are paid for using their likeness – essentially creating a new, AI-native revenue stream for talent in the age of automation.
ChatGPT’s new image generator GPT-4o unleashes AI-generated fashion
The launch of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s new multimodal model, has sparked a boom in AI-generated visuals across the fashion world. With the ability to generate photo-realistic images from simple text prompts, it’s become a powerful creative tool for concepting, content production, and even campaign execution.
In a viral Medium article, creative technologist Zueva NN showcases how GPT-4o can generate high-fashion campaign images indistinguishable from studio shoots – featuring imaginary models, perfectly lit garments, and stylised editorial backdrops.
“We are now at a point where fashion design, art direction, and photography can all be prototyped by a single person – using AI,” she wrote.
Whether it’s for internal ideation, real-time social content, or storytelling experiments, GPT-4o has unlocked a level of speed and precision that would’ve been unthinkable a year ago.
The fake fashion campaigns by Sybille de Saint Louvent
In a world where anyone can generate a campaign with the right prompt, Sybille de Saint Louvent has emerged as a creative force redefining fashion storytelling. The Paris-based creative director uses AI to fabricate fake campaigns for luxury labels like Prada, Jil Sander, and Gucci – often without the brands’ involvement (at least at first).
“I just saw the AI situation as an amazing tool to work with,” she told Business of Fashion. “As a creative, you can wait for a client to call you… or just start creating.”
Her AI imagery is poetic, eerie, and often surreal – not focused on product shots, but identity and emotion. One imagined Victoria Beckham campaign depicts a coat sitting upright in a plush chair, with no one inside. It’s artful, provocative, and entirely synthetic.
Her work has since evolved into real collaborations – including a campaign for Gucci – showing how speculative creativity, powered by AI, is now opening commercial doors.
Reve is revolutionising AI image quality — and marketing design
A new challenger has entered the AI arena: Reve.ai. Touted as having surpassed Midjourney in photorealism, Reve is rapidly gaining traction among creatives and marketers, particularly for its unmatched handling of typography, product design, and promotional visuals.
Creative director and tech influencer Roberto P. Nickson summed up its impact in a recent Instagram post:
“We just hit a turning point when it comes to image generation. What was once novelty is now utility. Reve has dethroned Midjourney, and the realism is off the charts… especially when you pair it with tools like Kling or Sora.”
What sets Reve apart is how accurately it renders text and layout design — crucial for fashion marketing collateral like campaign posters, product pages, lookbooks, and training materials.
“Now anyone can create beautiful promotional graphics, comics, training documents, whatever you can think of… The way it handles text is just brilliant.”
As AI image generation moves from concept art into full commercial usage, Reve is positioning itself as the tool of choice for creators who want both realism and control.
Puma’s virtual influencer Laila enters the chat
Global sportswear brand Puma recently unveiled Laila Khadraa, a photorealistic virtual influencer designed to represent the brand across digital campaigns. Created in partnership with agency Loop, Laila is more than a CGI avatar – she’s an always-on brand ambassador who can engage audiences across social channels 24/7.
“Laila represents a new generation of influencers – one who can be everywhere, say anything, and always be on-brand,” noted Think Marketing Magazine.
Virtual models like Laila offer brands full creative control without the risks or costs of human talent — a tempting proposition for marketing departments increasingly focused on scale and speed.
