Fashion models face growing pressure from the use of artificial intelligence as clothing brands explore digital replicas, face swaps and synthetic advertising images that could reduce demand for conventional photo shoots.
A Reuters investigation published on 27 October examined more than a dozen confidential photo-shoot contracts and spoke with 15 modelling-agency directors. The proposed terms covered AI-driven alterations to models' faces and bodies, the creation of digital replicas, and the future use of images.
Reuters reported that AI-generated fashion imagery could cut production costs by 90 per cent or more compared with traditional photo shoots. That potential saving, which varies by production and provider, comes as models and their representatives question how the technology could affect bookings and control over their likenesses.
Contracts Raise Questions about Consent
Some proposed terms would allow a model's image to be changed or reused through AI processes, potentially extending beyond the original campaign. Others addressed the use of photographs to train AI tools.
The Reuters review identified proposed wording involving Diesel, Calvin Klein, and L'Oréal. A draft Calvin Klein agreement, for example, referred to training AI tools with images stripped of identifying features. Calvin Klein said it was testing AI while respecting models' rights and relevant standards.
Diesel's parent company said the release reviewed was drafted for a particular campaign and did not reflect its standard agreements. L'Oréal said its post-production AI tools did not alter models' images. The existence of proposed wording does not establish that each company adopted the clauses or exercised the rights described.
A digital replica that can be reused over time may reduce the need for repeat bookings. Agency representatives interviewed by Reuters raised concerns about models' negotiating power, particularly for newer talent facing large commercial clients.
Melanie Howard, a lawyer at Loeb & Loeb, warned Reuters that broad contract language could make it harder to contest uses beyond what a model believed had been authorised.
Online Retail Photography Faces Disruption
E-commerce photography is among the areas already being affected by AI-generated imagery. Retailers need frequent pictures of clothing in different colours, styles, and combinations, creating an incentive to generate variations digitally.
Zalando has expanded its use of AI-generated marketing imagery. ABOUT YOU, the fashion retailer Zalando acquired in 2025, launched SCAYLE STUDIOS in July 2026 to produce AI-generated fashion imagery for its own business and other retailers.
ABOUT YOU said its AI-powered workflows had reduced e-commerce production costs by approximately 90 per cent and shortened time to market by more than 95 per cent in its operations. These are company-reported results, not guaranteed savings for the wider industry.
Such systems are designed to shorten production timelines and reduce the need to organise separate shoots for every clothing variation. Reuters also reported studio closures and weaker bookings in parts of the sector, although changes in demand cannot all be attributed solely to AI.
Legal protections struggle to keep pace
New York's Fashion Workers Act took effect on 19 June 2025. For covered modelling work, it requires clear, separate written consent before a client or model management company creates or uses a digital replica. The approval must specify the scope, purpose, rate of pay ,and duration of the use.
The New York requirements do not apply to every model or contract worldwide. Elsewhere, protections depend on local law and negotiated terms, including any conditions for ending permission or obtaining approval for additional campaigns.
Legal and industry representatives have raised concerns that broadly worded future-use provisions could give models too little clarity about how their images may be deployed as AI capabilities develop.
The future of human models
AI imagery is not expected to eliminate every kind of modelling work. Runway presentations and high-profile campaigns continue to use recognisable people and live performances, though these parts of the industry are not immune to technological change.
The sharper near-term challenge may lie in routine commercial photography, where digital models can be deployed repeatedly and at scale. Whether the shift produces new paid roles or reduces opportunities for working models will depend in part on how brands use the technology and negotiate its terms.
As fashion businesses invest in synthetic imagery, the distinction between an ordinary photo-shoot booking and permission to create a reusable digital likeness is becoming increasingly consequential.
