“ I recently walked for Michael Costello. But I wasn’t the one he posted on his Instagram story. Michael is a top designer with over 1.7 million followers [Instagram]. Changing my face and changing my social race is completely disrespectful “, says Taiwanese-American model Shereen Wu in a TikTok posted on October 10, 2023, with supporting screenshots.
First let’s see a real photo of the model parading. Then a photoshopped version of her posted by the stylist in an Instagram story where her head appears to have been filtered to look like a missing sister from the Kardashian-Jenner clan. The model then shows that she questioned the stylist about this heavily retouched photo, making it unrecognizable. Michael Costello responded that it was an edit made by a photographer or fan. Shereen Wu then turned to the photographer in question who denied the facts, presenting screenshots of her exchanges with the stylist who effectively deleted all of her recent messages. The model then asked a close colleague of the designer. She replied that she was fanart made by artificial intelligence.
The precariousness of models, already aggravated by artificial intelligence
Shereen Wu knows full well that she is more than replaceable and has walked for free for this designer in exchange for visibility, she continues. However, if her face becomes unrecognizable, she becomes exploitative. The model then presents several articles denouncing racist, fatphobic and even sexual harassment by Michael Costello in the past. Before concluding she: ” Maybe I’m making a big deal and it will ruin my modeling career, but I think it’s worth protesting. »Meanwhile, the model’s Instagram account was deleted several times by the Meta group company, without any explanation, causing her to lose the little influence she had acquired there and numerous professional opportunities. Luckily, her TikTok account remains where her video has already been viewed more than 1.8 million times since its posting.
This story illustrates not only the precariousness of the near-anonymous models that powerful designers face, but also how it risks worsening with the advance of artificial intelligence. These make the use of man and the respect of the meager labor laws less and less useful, a fortiori In the USA. While the Hollywood strike warns of precisely this type of abuse, perhaps the fashion industry should be more concerned, too.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
