Digital Twins in Fashion: Lessons from H&M’s AI Models

Jan 14, 2026

From Factories to Fashion

Digital Twins were a thing for industrial optimisation, soon we will start to hear it for the Fashion as well.
This time it is not a digital copy of a factory where you can tweak things to increase efficiency and lower costs.

Instead, it is a digital twin of a real model where H&M for the first time used a virtual model to show their designs on and it is not possible to distinguish if it is real or AI generated.

Campaign line:
“She's like me, without the jet lag.”

It Was Never About Jet Lag

The news emphasized that in reality it was not the jet lag that compelled the fashion brands to use Artificial Intelligence for fashion photography.

It was the simple fact that Artificial Intelligence shreds costs.

What changes immediately

No more sending hairstylists
No more make-up artists
No more photographers to exotic locations

Cost Reduction Is Only the Beginning

But the cost cut is not the only thing that is promising about AI.

Targeting a wider audience with models who are not just one young sparky 23 years old, but simultaneously offering to show same product with a 40 years old curvy model, or 60 years old charismatic model depending on the eyes looking to same ecommerce website or same campaign page.

This has potential to be a revenue generator.

The Question Every Technological Shift Brings

These news came with a huge question that needs to be answered.

Historical questions we have asked before

what will happen to calligraphers in emergence of printing press?
what will happen to horse-drawn carriage drivers in emergence of Automobiles?
what will happen to authors in the wake of printing press?

This question is not new, and we have seen the clear answer.

It has same answer with the question: what will happen to horse-drawn carriage drivers in emergence of Automobiles?

And somewhat it has related response with the question what will happen to authors in the wake of printing press?

What This Means for Fashion Photography Professionals

The artistic and intellectual value added by professionals of the fashion photography will remain at least same if not with increasing importance.

The number of authors will not decrease but increase, and there will be much more need for Automobile drivers than the horse-drawn carriage drivers.

But it needs effort and one can't preserve what today has for granted by staying still.

Ripples and tides of water has been known for sailors for a long time, but it is not same thing as a rock solid ground staying still for a thousand year.

The professionals of the fashion photography industry with all of their experience, knowledge, and artisanship will need to learn how to create fashion content in the age of AI.

And although the job will be same, it will be very different.

Start Your AI Transformation Today

The shift toward AI-driven fashion content is no longer a future discussion.
It is already shaping how brands create, scale, and personalise visual experiences.

Digital twins, virtual try-on, and AI-generated fashion imagery are not about replacing creativity.
They are about amplifying it, reducing friction, and unlocking new commercial possibilities.

Brands that start experimenting today gain: