- Title: Virtual or real? Fashion world split over digital supermodels
- Date: 21st September 2018
- Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 8, 2018) (REUTERS) MODEL ASHANTI HILDRETH BACKSTAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MODEL, ASHANTI HILDRETH, SAYING: "Honestly, no because I feel like, one virtual reality is going to cost way more than using a real model any day. He's going to have to pay, like I'm pretty sure you have to pay for someone to like edit, on to
- Embargoed: 5th October 2018 15:15
- Keywords: Gisele Alicea VR Shudu GCI virtual reality Balmain digital models Temperley London fashion industry Michael Kors London Fashion Week New York Fashion Week model Alice Temperley AI Aweng Choul
- Location: VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS/ NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES/ LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / INTERNET
- City: VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS/ NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES/ LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / INTERNET
- Country: Various
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Fashion
- Reuters ID: LVA00C8YKLSNT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The three women gazing into the camera in an advert for French luxury label Balmain look like they could fit in at any high-end shoot, but Shudu, Margot and Zhi are "digital models" whose rise is dividing the fashion world.
The computer-generated trio at the centre of Balmain's new campaign is the latest example of fashion brands embracing technology to lure digital-savvy younger clients.
Best known of the three is Shudu, a black digital model created by visual artist Cameron-James Wilson last year. She has her own Instagram account with 145,000 followers which describes her as "the world's first digital supermodel". Modelling shots include her wearing Tiffany jewellery for Vogue Australia, to a t-shirt from independent clothing brand SOULSKY.
Responses from the industry during New York and London fashion weeks were mixed, with designer Michael Kors among those critical of computer-generated imagery (CGI) being used in this way.
"I am not into a digital model. I am into real people with personalities and opinions," Kors said at his show in New York. "The idea of digital models is something that I hope does not gain popularity."
But British designer Alice Temperley believes using CGI could help cut costs.
"I quite like the idea of doing some of that for the commercial and then spending the money on doing events," Temperley said at London Fashion Week.
"I think CGI for computer, for website, for selling purposes, for walking backwards and forwards and showing a product on a website is genius, but not necessarily to bring life and flavour into a brand, because that's much more personal."
Shudu's creator said the rise of CGI in fashion was inevitable as it was being used in other industries. She told Reuters that the worlds of 3D and fashion were "destined to collide." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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