Gucci has been at the centre of the pre-Milan Fashion Week whirlpool in the wake of its latest marketing campaign, which has seen the fashion house utilise artificial intelligence in the creation of promotional images rather than the conventional tools of the trade: cameras and light.
In the weeks leading up to this Friday’s runway debut from Creative Director, Demna Gvasalia, the fashion house has been forced to defend its latest move in the face of backlash from the internet, which has largely criticised the fashion house’s decision to utilise artificial intelligence in the creation of its promotional images, dubbing the move “AI slop,” the internet’s way of referring to the plethora of AI-generated content flooding the web. The viral backlash against the fashion house came in the way in which the internet has criticised the fashion house for its move to utilise artificial intelligence in the creation of its promotional images, rather than the conventional tools of the trade, cameras and light.
This is not the first instance in which the Italian fashion house has turned to the tools of the future in the creation of its promotional images, and the move has not been without controversy in the face of the backlash from the internet and the fashion community at large. Gucci has been flirting with the “metaverse” and generative tech for years:
NFTs: The brand has auctioned off AI-generated artwork through Christie’s.
The Surreal World: In December, they unveiled a video of a model strutting down a runway with photographers literally tumbling in her wake.
Industry Peers: From Valentino to H&M, fashion brands have all been experimenting with generative AI technology, all of them using it as a means of “creative exploration.”
The Skeptic’s View –
Authenticity Gap: Replaces human “soul” and craft with math.
“Slop” Factor: Looks like generic, low-quality internet content everywhere.
Economic Impact: Replaces photographers, models, and stylists.
The Industry’s Defence –
Creativity: Creates surreal images that are impossible in real life.
Efficiency: Accelerates production of social media content and mood boards.
Provocation: Can be used as a form of parody and commentary on modern luxury.
Not everyone is ready to descend upon Gucci’s offices just yet. Fashionistas are saying that the AI was able to successfully capture the essence of “Milanese Glam.” Tati Bruening, a renowned fashion photographer, believes that maybe Gucci was using the “surreal” factor of the images to make a statement about what luxury actually means in 2026.