A Nigerian-Australian model is speaking out after a major fashion retailer allegedly used artificial intelligence to tweak his appearance in promotional images. Elii Emeghebo, who has worked with brands internationally, claims the company altered his facial features and lightened his skin tone without his consent. He shared the untouched and edited photos side by side on social media, sparking a broader conversation about digital manipulation in fashion.
Emeghebo told followers that the retouched images stripped him of his identity, replacing his natural look with a version the retailer apparently deemed more marketable. The model, who has previously advocated for diversity in the industry, said the edits felt like a step backward. "They took my Blackness and tried to erase it," he wrote, adding that the company never asked permission or informed him of the changes.
The incident has reignited debates about representation and the ethical limits of AI in advertising. Critics argue that altering a model's ethnicity to fit a certain standard perpetuates harmful beauty norms. As of now, the retailer has not publicly commented on the allegations. Emeghebo hopes his story will push brands to adopt clearer policies on digital alterations and respect the authenticity of the people they hire.
Originally reported by WWD