Feb. 24, 2026
Fashion devotees are slamming luxury brand Gucci for a series of posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X that depict models wearing the brand, but rendered by AI rather than using human models. The posts, which started on Feb. 23, are a promotional campaign for Demna Gvasalia’s first fashion show for Gucci as its new creative director.
Gucci posted the four different promotions, each with stylish images of models or luxury objects, followed by the message “PRIMAVERA, February 27, 2 p.m. CET.” The aforementioned posts on Instagram feature only that message, along with the images. However, on Facebook and Twitter/X, the images and message are followed by a disclaimer: “Created with AI.”
Similar to the reactions to nearly any major brand or director posting AI videos, the reactions to the Gucci AI advertising campaign are split between positive and extremely negative.
“AI???? Come on guys that’s horrible!” wrote one Instagram commenter. “Any luxury brands that used AI slop should not be consider luxury anymore!” wrote another on Twitter/X. Of all the social media interactions, Twitter/X had by far the most, logging over 2.1 million views, and nearly 900 comments, many of which criticized the latest Gucci AI image of a woman walking through a restaurant wearing a Gucci belt and apparent accessories as diners look on.
“If you’re going to call yourself a luxury brand and charge that much for your products, people expect artistry,” wrote user Wicked Updates under the post, earning 6,600 Likes. “Creating an ad with AI is a direct slap in the face to your own industry that is supposed to be about highly skilled artisans. This is why no one should take these brands seriously and support REAL local artists instead.”
The decision by Gucci, possibly the most famous name in luxury fashion, is being received by some as a signal that the storied house of style will not shield human designers, human photographers, and human runway models from the advance of AI, and the employment and economic impacts that AI use could represent.
It’s unclear who made the call to use AI for the campaign, but since the promotion is for Demna’s show, some will assume he isn’t averse to the use of AI in this case. If the name Demna sounds familiar, you may remember him as a past collaborator with Ye (who also uses AI for his creative work), aka Kanye West, on his Yeezy fashion line.
And while the AI outrage over Gucci’s campaign is fresh, this isn’t the first time Gucci has dived into the generative AI waters. On Feb. 9, Gucci launched a Sponsored AI Lens on Snapchat that allows Snapchat users to see what the brand’s La Famiglia line will look like on them.
Cover via Gucci/X.com
