Why Luxury Brands Are Building Custom AI Brand Models (HELIOT EMIL Case)

Quick answer: for its AW26 presentation "CYMATICS" at Paris Fashion Week, HELIOT EMIL worked with Botika to create a fully custom AI fashion model plus on-brand images and video for its showroom and digital channels. The point wasn't speed, it was control: a face designed as deliberately as the garments. For any brand, a custom AI model is a repeatable, consistent character you own the look of, used across lookbooks, social and showroom content.

Sources: Botika, 5 Feb 2026, All Things Fashion Tech.

What HELIOT EMIL did

• Built a custom AI model for one collection's concept, not a generic stock face.
• Produced matching images and video for showroom and online.
• Creative Director Julius Juul said it "removed some of the usual constraints around casting and production" and let the imagery become "a direct extension of the concept".

Custom model vs generic AI model

	Generic AI model	Custom brand model
Face	Changes per image	Same face every time
Brand fit	Neutral	Designed for your concept
Reuse	Low	Every campaign and channel
Risk	Looks like everyone else	Recognisable, ownable

How to build a consistent brand model in 5 steps

1. Write a character sheet: age range, features, hair, expression, attitude, what they never wear.
2. Generate a clean reference portrait on a neutral background, front-facing, soft light.
3. Save it as a character and reuse that same reference for every shot.
4. Change one thing at a time: outfit, then location, then pose.
5. Keep a rejection rule: any image where the face drifts gets deleted, not "fixed later".

Copy-paste character brief

Brand model reference portrait. Woman, late 20s, sharp cheekbones, short dark bob,
calm direct gaze, no smile. Neutral grey studio background, soft frontal light,
85mm lens, head and shoulders. Natural skin texture, no retouched plastic look.

Ethics and disclosure

If your model resembles or is based on a real person, get written consent and a clear licence. Label AI-generated imagery where your market requires it (the EU is phasing in transparency rules for AI content).

Make something today

• Plan a catwalk with looks you already have: Runway Show Producer, pay as you go.
• Keep one face and one product steady across shots: Creative Workspace.
• Put garments on a model: Virtual Try-On.
• Learn the full workflow: AI Consistency workshop, Claude & ChatGPT workshop, or save with a workshop bundle.
• For teams: training and consulting.

FAQ

What is a custom AI brand model?

A synthetic model designed for one brand and reused across all its content, so the same face appears in every campaign.

Who made HELIOT EMIL's AI model?

Botika, an AI fashion imagery company, for the brand's AW26 Paris Fashion Week presentation.

How do I keep an AI model's face consistent?

Use one saved reference portrait for every generation and change only one variable per shot.

Do I need consent to create an AI model?

If it's based on a real person, yes: written consent and a licence covering how and where it's used.

Can small brands do this?

Yes. A saved character plus a consistent workflow gives you a brand face without a casting budget.