WORLD (Enmaeya News) - December 18, 2025

Zara has become the latest fast-fashion retailer to adopt artificial intelligence to generate images of real models wearing different outfits, a move aimed at speeding up production and reducing costs as the industry increasingly turns to AI-driven tools.

The initiative places Zara alongside rivals such as H&M, which earlier this year announced it had created AI “clones” of models for marketing use, and European online retailer Zalando, which is also using AI to accelerate image creation.

In a statement, Inditex, Zara’s parent company, said the technology is being used to support — not replace — existing creative processes. “We are using artificial intelligence only to complement our existing processes,” an Inditex spokesperson said, adding that models are consulted and compensated in line with industry standards.

Zara’s use of AI was first reported by London-based business newspaper CityAM, which quoted a model saying they were asked to approve AI-edited images showing them in different garments and were paid the equivalent of an additional photoshoot.

While retailers say AI will enhance efficiency, concerns remain within the creative sector. Isabelle Doran, chief executive of the Association of Photographers in London, warned that wider adoption of AI could reduce commissions for photographers, models and production teams, affecting both established professionals and those entering the industry.

The development comes despite Zara chair Marta Ortega’s public advocacy for fashion photography. Her MOP Foundation gallery in A Coruña, Spain, has hosted exhibitions by leading photographers including Annie Leibovitz, Steven Meisel and Helmut Newton.

Zara has also been repositioning itself toward a more upmarket image, closing smaller stores in favor of larger flagship locations, as it adapts to changing consumer habits and technological shifts in fashion production.