Image generated on AI
A Taiwanese-American model, Shereen Wu, has called out famed fashion designer Michael Costello for supposedly digitally altering her appearance by superimposing a Caucasian face over hers in a now-viral TikTok video.
Wu, 21, who had walked the runway for Costello at Art Hearts, a Los Angeles fashion show, expressed her dismay after discovering that a photo posted by the designer featured a Caucasian face digitally imposed over her own. “I recently walked for Michael Costello,” Wu shared. “But that’s not me who he posted on his story.”
Michael Costello has yet to take responsibility for his actions. I want to explain what happened, and I hope other models in the future feel comfortable to speak up. He has since offered to post my photo side by side with the AI one, but has not voluntarily post it. This offer did not contain an apology, and only happened after a model who’s close with him brought light to the situation. Some points I couldn’t fit: -Replaced the face of a model from the same collection -Lightened the skin of a black model in a photo and proceeded to push blame on the makeup artist (mua did not lighten the skin) -Screamed at models backstage (he screamed at the girl who stumbled on the runway to near tears, only to make an Instagram post praising her after.) But considering how long he’s been acting like this, I doubt any apology from him would be sincere; they would be performative at best. (Sorry for the weird cuts and sped up video I was trying to fit as much as I can in) #michaelcostello #greenscreenvideo #drama #michaelcostellocontroversy
It was her mother who initially noticed the discrepancy in the image where her daughter’s face appeared to have been edited out. The model shared her emotional journey from shock to sadness, distressed by the thought of her mother witnessing such an erasure of her features.
Wu was unpaid for the gig, which she was fine with, and she expected exposure in return.
“But I didn’t get exposure, because this is an edited photo,” she added. “By cutting off my head, neither did the makeup artist, hairdresser or photographer. That’s what peeves me so much.”
Shereen Wu, a model based in Los Angeles, is alleging that American designer and ex-Project Runway participant, Michael Costello, has used AI to change her face in a fashion show picture. This incident has sparked debates about the increasing use of AI in the fashion industry.… pic.twitter.com/TUoDX6uep2
— Hypebae (@hypebae) November 3, 2023
Since being entwined in this debacle, Costello—known for his Project Runway fame and for dressing up celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé—has turned off comments on Instagram. On Thursday, however, he issued a statement claiming the image was “fan art” and denied manipulating it himself.
Michael Costello has two East Asian friends! Anyways I’m rushing to share my story before he suspends my Tiktok account too. #michaelcostello #michaelcostellocontroversy
The designer also said his brand would be “moving forward with legal proceedings” against Wu for what he termed “false allegations.” His post has been taken down since.
Wu, in turn, has reached out to advocacy group Model Alliance, who has connected her to legal counsel, per the Guardian.
The debate around the photo’s origin remains, with both parties suggesting AI might have been involved in its alteration.
“I hope people can understand how hurtful it is to have your work stolen from you. It’s very dehumanizing,” said the model. “The very thing that makes us human is our ability to create something beautiful, and to have this beauty be twisted into something that can potentially be ugly is a terrifying thought.”
[via The Guardian and News.com.au, images via various sources]
by rrollins
Recent Comments