“The Models’ Bodies Don’t Even Look Real”: Fashion Brand Accused of Using AI to Alter Models’ Figures, Sparking Online Outrage

Popular swimwear and womenswear brand Aurela Hoxha has found itself at the center of a controversy after being accused of digitally manipulating videos featuring its models. Viewers noticed that the women appeared to have unnaturally long legs and impossibly narrow waists, prompting suspicions that filters and artificial intelligence tools had been used to alter their proportions.

The unusual details were highlighted by fitness coach Jackson Johnson, who is known for criticizing unrealistic beauty standards. His video analyzing the campaign has amassed more than 1.2 million views. In enlarged footage, he pointed out what he believes to be visible distortions in the outline of one model’s stomach.

“This is disgusting. The brand has altered its models’ bodies using filters that make their waists smaller and their legs longer to make the video go viral. Girls already struggle with their appearance and feel they aren't thin enough. Now they're being asked to compare themselves to images like these,” Johnson said.

He urged the company to take down the video, apologize to its audience and accept responsibility for publishing what he described as misleading advertising. Aurela Hoxha has yet to comment on the allegations.

Many social media users backed the criticism. “Their bodies don't even look human,” one commenter wrote. Others compared the models to AI-generated characters and questioned why the brand would heavily retouch figures that were already attractive.

Armin Ashenberg, an expert in AI and law at Western Sydney University, also pointed to a suspicious moment in the footage, in which one model’s body appears to change shape as a result of what looks like a digital glitch. However, he said he could not confirm that AI had been used.

According to Ashenberg, potential signs of digital manipulation include unnaturally shifting body contours, distorted backgrounds, sudden changes in the textures of clothing and skin, and shadows or reflections that do not match the movement of the subject. At the same time, video-editing technology has become so sophisticated that distinguishing manipulated footage from reality can be extremely difficult.

The expert warned that such images can promote unattainable beauty ideals and increase dissatisfaction with one's appearance, particularly among young people. Misleading advertising can also influence purchasing decisions by giving consumers a false impression of how clothing actually looks on the body.

“We should not allow AI-generated ideals of perfection to become the standard by which real people are judged,” Ashenberg stressed.