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You know how when consumers speak of increasing diversity and representation in fashion what they really mean is brands just using more AI models of color? Yeah, maybe not, but Levi Strauss & Co. might not have gotten the memo; it announced a partnership with AI studio Lalaland.ai last week.
Through its partnership, the company said it would be using Lalaland.ai’s advanced AI tech to generate a wide range of models that represent people of different body types, skin colors, and ages.
“This AI technology can potentially assist us by supplementing models and unlocking a future where we can enable customers to see our products on more models that look like themselves, creating a more personal and inclusive shopping experience,” the brand said in a statement.
While AI’s potential in fashion seems manifold and unexplored in many ways, Levi’s plan to “supplement” models of various backgrounds and body types is unlikely to be one of those ways. Not only does it hamper the relatively limited opportunities for real-life models of color and plus-sized models to get hired, but it also seems like the perfect recipe to ignite consumer backlash.
And, in Levi’s case, it did.
Days after the announcement of the partnership, social media was flooded with posts criticizing the move. "Your diversity doesn’t count if you’re not diversifying who’s on the payroll," one Twitter user wrote.
Many others expressed similar sentiments, with some even claiming they wouldn’t buy from the brand again.
Final word: Levi’s has since issued a statement claiming it doesn’t plan on scaling back on live photoshoots, using real-life models, or its “commitment to working with diverse models”: “Lalaland.ai’s technology, and AI more broadly, can potentially assist us by allowing us to publish more images of our products on a range of body types more quickly,” it said.
While it remains to be seen if that response will ease consumer concerns, it’s clear that positioning AI models as supplementary to real-life models is not a great substitute for diversity, at least not in the eyes of many consumers. What are your thoughts? Reply to this newsletter or shoot us a note at [email protected].