Valentino Faces Backlash Over “Sloppy” AI-Generated Ad for New DeVain Handbag

Luxury fashion house Valentino is facing considerable criticism after rolling out what some are calling “disturbing” artificial intelligence (AI) generated advertisements for its new DeVain handbag. The brand had announced a creative collaboration with digital artists, touting it as a “digital creative project” to promote its latest accessory.

However, an AI-produced ad shared on Instagram has drawn sharp condemnation from fans, who have labeled the visuals and the use of AI itself as “sloppy” and “sad.” Millenium TV has reached out to Valentino for comment regarding the unfolding situation.

The Instagram post, which carries a label indicating its AI origin, features a surreal collage of models interwoven with Valentino logos and the DeVain bag. Viewers observed models seemingly emerging from an ornate gold rendition of the handbag, while in another sequence, the brand’s logo morphed into human arms before dissolving into a swirling mass of bodies.

Hundreds of comments flooded Valentino’s Instagram video, with many viewers denouncing the AI deployment as “cheap” and “lazy.” One user expressed disappointment, stating, “Advertising campaigns are an opportunity to put talented creatives centre stage. AI in this instance is lazy at best.” Others urged the company’s marketing team to “read the room,” likening the content to “AI slop” and accusing the brand of “rage-baiting.”

The fashion industry, alongside numerous other creative sectors, has increasingly embraced generative AI tools capable of rapidly producing images and videos. This adoption is often seen as a means to reduce production and promotional expenses, and to explore how emerging technology can enhance processes like design and manufacturing.

Yet, this shift has also sparked concerns about potential displacement of human workers and a possible decline in the quality of fashion products. An expert in cultural insights and trends explained that while Valentino showed “the right instinct” by openly disclosing the use of generative AI, the ensuing backlash points to “a deeper cultural tension.”

She elaborated that the core issue is not the technology itself, but rather the perception of what it replaces. “When AI enters the visual identity of a brand, people worry that the brand is choosing efficiency over artistry,” she stated. “Even if the execution is creative, audiences often read it as cost-saving disguised as innovation.”

Previous instances of AI use in fashion advertising, such as a clothing retailer’s deployment of “digital twins” of models for ads and social media, have ignited criticism regarding the impact on human models, photographers, and makeup artists. Similarly, an AI-generated advertisement for another prominent brand earlier this year raised questions about its implications for female beauty standards.

While acknowledging the clear benefits and “new creative possibilities” AI offers to brands, the expert cautioned that “the risk is equally clear.” She concluded, “Without a strong emotional idea behind it, generative AI can make luxury feel less human at a moment when people want human presence more than ever.”