Rise of AI-Generated Fashion Shoots Offers Cost Savings for Retailers

A strawberry blonde model looks nonchalantly into the camera, her slender body draped in fitted white linen pants and flowing pale green blouse. She looks like one of millions of fashion models that could grace the websites of retailers and mom-and-pop eCommerce sites.

She was also created using artificial intelligence (AI).

A growing number of companies are offering a retail marketing service that lets businesses upload images of clothing and transform them into fashion model shoots customized by body type, ethnicity and more.

One of them is BetterStudio, which launched in March after its predecessor, AI Modeling Agency, was acquired by BetterPic to form BetterGroup.

“The way we’re building BetterStudio is to create more opportunities — for models, for photographers, for model agencies, for fashion brands,” said CEO Luca Arrigo in an interview with PYMNTS. “In today’s world, brands are struggling to keep up with the demand for content.”

BetterStudio also offers brands a proposition that is difficult to turn down: Thousands of dollars in savings.

A fashion shoot could be pricey because it entails hiring a photographer, a model, hair and makeup crew and stylist, plus location and other fees. BetterStudio charges 75 cents to $1.30 per image that can be reused in multiple marketing campaigns, according to Arrigo.

Fashion marketers upload photos of clothing and then choose among the different AI models offered by BetterStudio. Using custom image-generation model-based technology from BetterPic, the generated output is the fashion model wearing the clothes from the brand. Brands can also edit the image —  or let BetterStudio edit —  to get exactly what they want.

BetterStudio can do shoes too, with accessories like handbags, earrings, hats and others coming soon, Arrigo said.

Rivals with similar services include Lalaland, Botika and FashnAI. They represent a fashion industry that is undergoing a revolutionary shift by enabling retailers to — in minutes — create professional-quality images of diverse models that can fit the culture of target markets globally.

Retailers also will be able to instantly visualize how garments would look on models of different body types, skin tones and ages — enabling rapid testing of various creative concepts.

Read more: Digital Doppelgangers: H&M Explores AI Digital Twins for Fashion Retail

Navigating Ethical Issues

As technology continues to improve, the distinction between AI-generated and traditional photography becomes blurred, signaling a permanent shift in how fashion brands approach visual marketing.

However, this trend raises important questions about the future of creative workers and models in the fashion industry.

According to Model Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy group for the fashion industry, a preliminary poll of fashion models and influencers shows that an “overwhelming majority” believe AI will negatively impact their careers, and 1 in 5 said they have been asked to submit to body scans to create their digital twins.

The nonprofit advocated for the Fashion Workers Act, a New York state bill that grants protections to models, including requiring written consent to use their digital replicas. The bill was signed into law last December.

In March, retail giant H&M caused a stir when it announced that it was creating 30 digital twins of human models as it explores new ways of showcasing its clothes, shoes and accessories. H&M told PYMNTS it’s not yet sure where it would use the digital twins.

Others in the fashion industry have been criticized for using — or having plans to use — AI models. They include Mango, Levi’s and Vogue Leaders.

Arrigo said BetterStudio’s goal is to be inclusive. In September, the company is launching an influencer marketplace whose images can be licensed by brands, then AI will be applied to change their outfits. They will own their IP.

“Our full vision is to allow real influencers and real models to be hired through our platform,” Arrigo said. “We want to start collaborating with these stakeholders so that we build it in a way that is ethical and in a way that they are included in the conversation.”

Photos: AI-generated fashion models. Credit: BetterStudio