Fashion brand accused of using AI to alter models’ bodies — and is called out by vocal online critics

A popular women’s fashion brand has been accused of using extreme digital filters to alter its models’ bodies, in a move called out by vocal critics online.

Clothing and swimwear label, Aurela Hoxha, boasts hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, regularly posting videos of models wearing their bold apparel.

But eagle-eyed viewers and content creators have been quick to point out something uncanny lurking in the brand’s seemingly perfect footage.

Prominent women’s fitness coach, Jackson Johnson, who regularly calls out unrealistic industry standards, exposed the bizarre edits in a viral video that’s racked up more than 1.2 millon views.

The clip alleges the models’ bodies are clearly distorted with digital tools designed to make their legs longer and waists smaller.

“This is absolutely disgusting what this brand has done to their models, and the modifications they’ve done to their bodies by using waist and long leg filters to make the video go more viral,” Mr Johnson claimed.

“And if we haven’t got enough body image problems and girls thinking that they’re overweight, they don’t look good, you watch this video, and you realise there’s something weird about this.”

Zooming in on the footage, the fitness coach indicated where a model’s stomach appears to warp.

He’s calling for the label to remove the video, apologise to their audience, and take accountability for the damaging edits.

“What, your models don’t already look good enough? You have to modify their body? Like, where do we draw a line?” he asked.

News.com.au has reached out to Aurela Hoxha for comment.

Thousands of viewers flooded the comments section echoing the sentiment, with many claiming the women in the clip look distorted and unrealistic. 

“Their bodies don’t even look human,” one user wrote.

Another person, who claimed to be a former model, expressed her absolute shock over the alleged digital manipulation.

“They [look] AI-generated,” a third person chimed in.

“Why use such aggressive filters on already pretty figures?” another confused viewer asked.

Expert’s take

Western Sydney University AI and legal expert, Dr Armin Ashenberg, noted there’s “a moment in the video where the model’s body shape appears to change, almost like a glitch”, but he couldn’t definitively confirm the use of artificial intelligence.

He advised viewers who might suspect digital manipulation or AI to watch clips ‘multiple times’, keeping an eye out for wobbling body outlines, shifting backgrounds, clothing or skin textures that suddenly blur or change, or shadows and reflections that don’t match the movement.

However, Dr Ashenberg cautioned that video manipulation has become so advanced that “we may have to let go of the idea that we can tell what is real and what is fake just by looking”.

“The concern is that viewers may compare themselves with a body shape that has been digitally altered, without knowing what they are seeing is unachievable,” he explained.

“When these images appear repeatedly, they can reinforce unrealistic beauty standards and contribute to body dissatisfaction, especially among younger audiences.”

The expert also questioned the fairness of the campaigns, noting that if a brand gives people a misleading impression of how a garment fits or what a product can achieve, it can unfairly affect their purchasing decisions.

Ultimately, Dr Ashenberg said the broader issue comes down to corporate responsibility, urging brands to be transparent with their customers.

“We shouldn’t let AI-generated ideals of perfection become the norm against which real people are judged,” he said.