When one of Pakistan’s biggest clothing brands unveiled its latest campaign featuring an AI-generated model, the internet went into action. Some hailed the move as avant-garde – a glimpse into the future of fashion – while others dismissed it as a cold, cost-cutting gimmick that eliminated the human essence of style.
As the digital age reshapes creative industries around the world, artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a silent collaborator, from design advice to digital campaigns. But the question remains: at what cost? Can AI truly replace the human touch that defines fashion? To explore this, Digital PK Press Club spoke to figures from the Pakistani fashion scene – designers, stylists and models – each bringing a nuanced perspective to a debate that is only just beginning.
“AI is the future, but perfect isn’t always relevant”
Parishae Adnan, a Karachi-based fashion designer, said AI was not something to fear.
“If we look at the current scenario, yes: human models are being replaced by AI, and AI tools are being used in the fashion industry as in any other sector,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with using AI as a model. It’s the future.”
Yet even as she embraces technology, Parishae recognizes her emotional limitations.
“The only problem I find with AI models is that they are too perfect. Humans are not. If you look closely at this campaign, the model’s skin, lighting and location are flawless, almost unreal. That’s why it doesn’t connect with us emotionally.”
Parishae, which also integrates AI tools into its business operations, believes in combining innovation and practicality.
“AI helps me identify which of my stores need to be restocked and by how much. A human would take time to calculate this, but AI gives me answers in seconds. My team still runs it, but AI saves us time and effort.”
However, she believes that the future depends on balance and not replacement.
“I think AI will not replace humans in the fashion industry, but people need to understand how to control it, how to limit its use,” she added. “That’s where the real challenge lies.”
“If AI reduces costs, what’s the problem? »
The debate is not only creative, it is economic. Pakistan’s fashion industry, like much of the country, is struggling with inflation and rising production costs. From yarn to fabric, prices have almost doubled in the last two years.
“In Pakistan, we are facing an economic crisis. The cost of living and even dying has doubled,” Parishae said with a wry laugh. “If a brand uses AI models to reduce costs, what’s the problem? If I find something cheaper and better, I’ll do it. People think brands charge too much, but if you buy the fabric and have it sewn yourself, it will cost almost the same.”
“AI models can’t walk the ramp – or feel emotion”
Erica Robin, Pakistan’s first-ever representative at Miss Universe in 2023, was among those who received the viral images from the campaign in her inbox.
“A lot of people sent me the campaign photos,” she said. “I found it innovative: it’s great to experiment with technology. However, I think AI tools can be used more effectively than replacing humans with AI models.”
Erica believes that human models bring something irreplaceable to the setting.
“We work eight hours a day, sometimes during the day, sometimes at night. I’m not saying that others don’t, but modeling is hard work. The advantage of working with a human model is that you don’t have to give instructions all the time. Once I understand the concept, I get on with it – I know my job.”
For Erica, modeling isn’t just about posing, it’s a performance.
“As a model, I don’t think we charge too much,” she said. “If we get results, we charge for the effort we put in. »
“The figure, the gait, the expression, it’s something only a human can bring to life. You can trick a machine, but you can’t make it feel. Audiences connect emotionally when they see familiar faces like Hania Aamir or Mahira Khan wearing an outfit. That connection drives them to buy. Now imagine a catalog full of AI models: would buyers feel the same way?”
For Erica, AI can help, not replace.
“It’s a tool, not a substitute. If we remove human models, what happens to photographers, stylists and makeup artists? The whole creative chain collapses.”
“Fashion without emotion is fashion without soul”
Veteran stylist Tabesh Khoja, known for his award-winning work in the industry, echoes this sentiment.
“When people look through a brand’s catalog, they feel emotions: they imagine themselves wearing those outfits,” he explained. “If they see a model that’s not real, that connection fades.”
Khoja fears that the rise of AI will worsen unemployment in an already fragile creative economy.
“If technology helps people advance in their professions, that’s great. But if it causes them to lose their jobs, then where are we?”
However, he recognizes that AI will open up new roles in the long term.
“We’ll see more AI companies, assistants and experts enter the fashion world. But AI can’t dry hair or apply makeup. It can tell you what color suits you, but it can’t feel how that color makes you feel.”
For Khoja, fashion is more than just an aesthetic: it is an emotional experience.
“Fashion is built on emotion, from creation to execution. The makeup artist, the photographer, the stylist, everyone adds their human touch. If we remove the soul, what is left? A fashion industry without emotion is an industry without soul.”
As global brands with digital clones of models face backlash, the Pakistani fashion world now finds itself on the same path. The industry finds itself at a crossroads, balancing innovation and identity with efficiency and empathy.
AI can make campaigns faster, cheaper and visually impeccable – but as all designers, models and stylists accept, fashion is about more than just how it looks; it’s about how you feel. And that, at least for now, remains beautifully – and irreplaceably – human.
