{"id":68445,"date":"2025-11-05T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mashup-communications.de\/?p=68445"},"modified":"2025-12-03T08:13:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T07:13:36","slug":"virtual-models","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mashup-communications.de\/en\/2025\/11\/virtual-models\/","title":{"rendered":"Synthetic Style: Are Virtual Models Transforming Fashion or Undermining It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Imagine: a female model with “flawless skin,” “perfect” proportions, and a look that is both futuristic and familiar. She advertises luxury labels, poses for magazine covers, and conducts interviews on Instagram. Nothing out of the ordinary, except for one thing: she doesn’t exist. No passport, no pulse, no real body. Welcome to the world of virtual models, CGI avatars, and deepfakes, where fashion meets artificial intelligence and the line between authenticity and illusion is becoming increasingly blurred. CGI avatars \u2013 i.e., completely digitally created figures \u2013 have long been used as brand ambassadors. A well-known example is Noonoouri<\/a>, who has already collaborated with Balmain, Dior, Versace, and Zalando. In their campaigns, she takes on the role of a classic model, including posing, styling, and influencer character. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while some celebrate this development as a creative revelation, others warn of a creeping deception that could permanently undermine trust in visual communication. What does this mean for brands, for consumers, and for reality itself? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Real or fake? With increasing technological progress, the boundaries are becoming blurred. Image: AI generated <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Shudu to Lil Miquela: when models are nothing but data<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Virtual models are digital figures, usually created with 3D software or AI, who act as influencers, testimonials, or runway models. Some appear hyperrealistic, others deliberately artificial. Shudu Gram is particularly well known, making headlines in 2017 as the “first digital supermodel” with an aesthetic that oscillates between beauty and simulation. Lil Miquela,<\/a> who oscillates between street style, social messages, and brand collaborations, has also long since built up her own fan base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read our article \u201cDigital icons: Are AI influencers revolutionizing brand storytelling?\u201d <\/a>for more information.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deepfakes are a slightly different matter. Here, existing image or video material of real people is manipulated using AI to create new statements, facial expressions, or movements that appear deceptively real but never actually took place. The difference is crucial: virtual models are created from scratch, while deepfakes alter existing material. However, both technologies use similar tools and raise the same fundamental question: what is still real today? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Shudu (@shudu.gram)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n