The Rise of AI Models: How Are They Challenging the Fashion Industry?

In fashion, an image can sell more than a garment. Models, photographers, stylists, and makeup artists work together to create visuals that capture attention and shape a brand’s identity. AI is now changing that process, allowing brands to create fashion content without a traditional photoshoot. But the technology raises an ethical question: what happens when a real model’s face is copied to create new content without their knowledge or consent? Existing photographs can be used as the basis for AI-generated images, allowing a model’s appearance to be used in new commercial content without their permission. The issue is no longer limited to international fashion markets. Similar concerns have emerged in Pakistan, where models and photographers have questioned how images from previous campaigns are being used to create new content. 

How Fashion Brands Are Using AI?

The shift toward AI-generated fashion imagery has happened quickly. In July 2024, Mango launched an entirely AI-generated campaign for its Mango Teen line. H&M moved into another area in 2025 by exploring digital twins of real models. The company said the project involved models who retained rights to their AI-generated images. Zalando also began using AI-generated imagery and digital twins of real models. The company reported that about 70% of its editorial campaign assets were AI-generated in the fourth quarter of 2024. 

For fashion companies, the attraction is clear. AI can reduce the time and cost involved in producing large amounts of marketing material. Zalando, for example, said AI reduced image-production time from several weeks to a few days, while significantly lowering production costs. But the technology also changes the relationship between brands and the people whose appearance is used to sell their products.

When a Real Model Becomes a Digital Replica

There is an important difference between creating a completely fictional AI model and creating a digital replica of a real person. A fictional model does not necessarily reproduce the identity of a particular individual. A digital replica, however, can reproduce a person’s face, body or other identifiable features. This raises questions about consent and how long that likeness can be used.

These concerns have become increasingly visible among models and their representatives. The Model Alliance has reported concerns among fashion workers about AI’s potential impact on their careers. The problem becomes particularly serious when a model agrees to one photoshoot but later discovers that their likeness has been used to create new advertising material that was never part of the original agreement.

Legal Protection for Models in the AI Era

Some governments are already responding to these concerns. New York’s Fashion Workers Act, which took effect on June 19, 2025, introduced specific protections for models whose digital replicas are created or used. Under the law, model management companies and clients must obtain clear written approval before creating or using a model’s digital replica. A previous agreement does not automatically provide permission for a new campaign if digital-replica use was not covered. The legislation shows how quickly fashion contracts are having to adapt to technology.

AI Fashion Raises Similar Concerns in Pakistan

Pakistan’s fashion industry is now beginning to confront similar concerns. In March 2026, Pakistani content creator and model Ayesha Tahir publicly accused clothing brand Engine of using her likeness in AI-generated promotional images without her permission. Ayesha said she had previously modelled for the brand but had not agreed to the use of her likeness. The case is significant because it moves the debate beyond a hypothetical concern. It shows how the use of AI-generated images can create disputes over a person’s identity even when the person has previously worked with the brand. A post by photographer Aleena Naqvi, shared by the account Propergaanda, alleged that some Pakistani fashion brands had used previous photographs of real models to create AI-generated images. 

What AI Fashion Images Mean for Consumers?

AI-generated fashion images can make it difficult to understand what a garment actually looks like on a real person. Digital images can change body proportions, skin texture, lighting, poses, and even the surrounding environment. This matters particularly for online shopping, where customers already depend heavily on photographs to judge a garment’s fit and appearance. For an industry that increasingly discusses diversity and representation, the widespread use of synthetic people creates another tension between marketing images and the people who actually buy the clothes.

To conclude, Fashion is unlikely to stop experimenting with AI. The technology can make image production faster and more flexible, but it also raises questions about consent, ownership, and control over human likeness. For models, agreeing to one photoshoot should not automatically mean allowing their appearance to be reused in unlimited AI-generated content. Photographers and brands need clearer contracts and greater transparency about how images are created. Pakistan is only beginning to address these questions, while countries such as the United States have started developing legal protections.