Fashion terms / Virtual Model
What Is a Virtual Model?
A virtual model is a computer-generated person, created with AI or 3D software, that looks like a real human. In fashion ecommerce, brands use virtual models to show clothes on a body without booking a real model or a photoshoot.
How Virtual Models Are Made
There are two main ways to create a virtual model for on-model photography.
- AI-generated models: AI creates a photorealistic person from text instructions or reference photos. A garment can then be shown on the model using a product photo.
- 3D / CGI models: digital artists build a 3D human in design software, then dress and pose them. This gives detailed control but needs specialist skills and production time.
AI tools make it possible to create model imagery without building a 3D character from scratch. Creating and using these digital people for fashion is often called virtual modeling.
Types of Virtual Models
- Product display models: show clothes on product pages and marketplace listings.
- Brand models: one virtual model a brand reuses across its catalogue so product pages show a consistent face and body.
- Virtual influencers: computer-generated characters with their own social media accounts, used for marketing and brand deals.
- Virtual try-on avatars: digital versions of a shopper’s body, used to preview clothing. Fit accuracy depends on the tool and its inputs.
Virtual Model vs Virtual Influencer
| Aspect | Virtual model | Virtual influencer |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Show products clearly | Build an audience and promote brands |
| Where you see it | Product pages, catalogues, ads | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube |
| Personality | None needed | Has a name, story and personality |
| Who uses it | Clothing brands and sellers | Brands, agencies and media companies |
A virtual influencer is a type of virtual model with a social media identity. A product-display model does not need an account, backstory or public persona.
Is There a Difference Between “AI Model” and “Virtual Model”?
In fashion, the two terms are often used to mean the same thing. “Virtual model” is the wider term: any computer-generated person. An “AI model” in this context is a virtual person created with artificial intelligence, rather than a manually built 3D character.
How Fashion Brands Use Virtual Models
- Catalogue photos: put new products on a model without a photoshoot.
- One consistent brand face: reuse the same model for every product so the store looks like one brand.
- Size-inclusive images: show the same piece on different body types, alongside accurate sizing information.
- New colourways: preview a new colour without shooting again, then check it against the actual product.
- Ads and social posts: create lifestyle images for different settings.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Check every image against the real garment. Colour, print, proportions and details should match what the shopper receives.
- Follow each platform’s rules on AI images. Marketplaces and ad platforms can have their own requirements.
- Show a range of people. Use different body types, skin tones and adult age groups that reflect your customers.
- Get permission before using a real person’s likeness. A generated image does not prove how a garment will fit a particular shopper.
Create Your Own Virtual Model
Pick a virtual model from the gallery or create your own brand model, then put your garment on it from a single flat lay with our AI fashion model generator. Reuse the same model across your whole catalogue.
Start free: 3 credits, no cardRelated Terms
On-Model Photography
Product photography showing a garment worn by a real or AI model.
PDP Images
The product photos and videos shown on an ecommerce product detail page.
Virtual Try-On
Technology that lets shoppers see clothes on their own body before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are virtual models real people?
No. A virtual model is computer-generated. Some are based on photos of real people with their permission, but the model in the final image is created by AI or 3D software.
What does "virtual model" mean on Instagram?
On Instagram, it usually means a virtual influencer: a computer-generated character with its own account, posts and followers, often used for brand campaigns.
Can I create my own virtual model?
Yes. With an AI tool, you can choose features such as gender, age range, body type, skin tone and hair, save the model, and reuse it across all your products.
Can a virtual model show different body types?
Yes. You can show the same garment on several virtual models with different body types so shoppers can compare its appearance. These images are visual examples, not measurements or guarantees of fit.
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