Levi’s Teams Up with Lalaland.ai to Create AI-Generated Models and Promote Diversity

Levi Strauss & Co has recently announced its partnership with digital fashion studio, Lalaland.ai, to create custom AI-generated avatars. Levi Strauss & Co is a renowned fashion brand recognized for its diverse collection of blue jeans.

This partnership aims to increase diversity among the models used to showcase Levi’s clothing range. Operating since 1853, Levi Strauss & Co claims to be one of the world’s largest brand-name apparel companies and a leading provider of jeanswear globally. The partnership with Lalaland.ai will utilize its advanced AI technology to create a more comprehensive range of avatars to model its apparel.

Lalaland.ai

Lalaland.ai, founded in 2019 in Amsterdam, prides itself on using advanced artificial intelligence to empower fashion brands and retailers to develop hyper-realistic models. These models come in different body types, ages, sizes, and skin tones. This technology aims to increase diversity among the models utilized to showcase fashion apparel. It is essential to note that Lalaland.ai is not the only company in the AI-generated model industry. According to the company, it employs innovative artificial intelligence. It is not the only business competing with AI-generated models, though. Deep Agency unveiled their “photo studio without cameras, humans, or a real place” earlier this month.

Levi Strauss’s Use of AI

Levi Strauss has affirmed that diversity, equity, and inclusion remain major priorities for the company. Although AI-generated models can help achieve its diversity goals, the company acknowledges that it is not the only solution it utilizes. Over the past year, Levi Strauss has been working to ensure that its workforce is diverse. Levi Strauss works towards bringing people in front of and behind the camera to mirror its diverse consumer base. It appears that the company does not plan to abandon photography entirely. However, considering the vast number of avatars that LaLaLand.ai can generate, real photos of actual individuals will likely be outnumbered by digitally created models.

Lalaland.ai AI Partnership

Levi Strauss is not the only fashion brand embracing AI models. Lalaland.ai has partnered with other top brands, such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and the Otto Group. Interestingly, the average person is unlikely to distinguish between actual and AI-generated models wearing these brands’ apparel.

Despite these developments, some Twitter users have pushed back against using AI models to address the lack of diversity in fashion. Some individuals have described the decision as “lazy,” “absurd,” and “racist.”

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