Levi’s Will Test AI-Generated Models to Boost Inclusivity and Personalization

Levis Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) is partnering with digital fashion studio Lalaland.ai to test AI-generated models to supplement human models, beginning later this year. Founded in Amsterdam in 2019, Lalaland.ai uses advanced AI to create hyper-realistic models of every body type, age, size and skin tone.

In a blog post announcing the partnership, LS&Co. said “We know our customers want to shop with models who look like them, and we believe our models should reflect our consumers, which is why we’re continuing to diversify our human models. 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.”

“While AI will likely never fully replace human models for us, we are excited for the potential capabilities this may afford us for the consumer experience,” said Amy Gershkoff Bolles, Global Head of Digital and Emerging Technology Strategy at LS&Co. in a statement. “We see fashion and technology as both an art and a science, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Lalaland.ai, a company with such high-quality technology that can help us continue on our journey for a more diverse and inclusive customer experience.”

In its blog post, LS&Co. noted that these AI-generated models are just one aspect of the brand’s diversity and inclusion efforts: “Over the past year, we’ve been focused on ensuring that not only is our work diverse, but those working on the content both in front of and behind the camera are reflective of our broad consumer base — and we’re continuing to do just that.”