Glamour Produces First-Ever Magazine Cover Shoot Fully Generated With AI
Image via Glamour Bulgaria
Like Barbie dolls, this magazine shoot is shiny, fabulous… and also synthetic.
For its August issue, Glamour Bulgaria has generated an entire cover “shoot” using artificial intelligence, making it, reportedly, the first high-profile fashion magazine to pull off this feat. That means there were no cameras on set, and the model’s face wasn’t directly photographed.
The whole job—including art direction and styling—was done in about 20 minutes, according to the New York Post.
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Lending her likeness was Lisa Opie, a former Miss Virgin Islands from Miami. As a Barbie fanatic, she wanted to incorporate the doll’s vibes and the color pink into the project. She and her team settled on a futuristic Barbie theme.
While sourcing for inspiration, Opie and her stylist, Joey Rolon, came across some cool Barbie-themed visuals and were astonished to learn they were conjured up by an AI artist named Fran H, who goes by @ai_fashion_photos on Instagram. They reached out to the creator, who agreed to work on the faux-to shoot with them.
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To have her face plastered across the glamorous images, Opie sent dozens of “mugshots” captured from various angles to the artist, who then generated about 50 pictures for the cover shoot in 20 minutes.
Several of the results sat in Uncanny Valley, and featured things like odd-shaped fingers. Nevertheless, the star said the process was “really fun” and “super, super, easy,” and that the AI-crafted visuals often came out better than her original vision.
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The shoot’s time-saving qualities did not go unnoticed by the model, who cited that the magazine didn’t have to stage backdrops or look for suitable outfits.
Putting together the training set involved Opie donning pink clothing to guide the AI on the ideal color scheme, so complex wardrobe decisions weren’t necessary.
Further, Opie saw how automation could drive a future of “absolutely zero-waste” shoots, since not as many physical materials would be needed, and models wouldn’t have to be flown into the destination of the set.
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With that, she also acknowledged the importance of protecting those who’d be most vulnerable to AI’s takeover, including people whose jobs could be at risk. In addition, she noted its implications in fueling malicious deepfakes.
All told, one actual photo of Opie did make it into the pages. It features the star, with her real face, in afro-like hair, and a pink top adorned with a giant flower.
Glamour Bulgaria cover model uses AI to create Barbie-inspired photoshoot https://t.co/948yTlj02O pic.twitter.com/SUqhJKWICV
— NY Post Business (@nypostbiz) July 13, 2023
[via DIY Photography, New York Post, B&T, images via various sources]
