The photoshoot that never happened
For issue 02/2026 of Fashion Guide Magazin, the cover and twelve pages were produced together with the magazine. An AI photoshoot. No studio, no shoot day. The two models on the cover do not exist.
The brief
Agnes Jacobi makes one-offs. Every piece in her Memory of Matter collection exists exactly once, sewn from rescued fabrics. For the cover story of her own issue she needed a campaign. She had the garments. And photos of them.
An AI photoshoot needs nothing more. Finished campaign images on a model come out of photos of the real clothing.
Our cover for this issue is pure artificial intelligence. An illusion. And still it is pure reality. Agnes Jacobi in the editorial of the AI Issue, translated from German
Before and after
On the left the real garment from Agnes. On the right how it appears in the magazine.
Olive brocade blazer.
Aylin with a teacup. In print, page 08.
Red damask coat with an embroidered medallion.
Aylin with the glass dog. In print, page 10.
Nude tulle dress with sewn-on pearls.
Naima beside the glass horse. In print, page 14.
Pink brocade set of jacket and shorts.
Naima at the birdcage. In print, page 16.
Who would wear it
It started with a conversation with Agnes, not with software. We wanted to know who she had sewn this collection for. How that woman carries herself and where she spends her time. Which light makes her fabrics look their best.
That settled who the story needed. Two very different women who wear the same collection in completely different ways.
Only then did the AI come in. It made Aylin and Naima visible. It invented no one.
This works with a real face just as well. Whether the model is invented or a living person changes nothing about the result.
The editorial
Twelve pages in the printed issue, plus the cover. Every image is AI-generated.
What the client says
A single beautiful AI image is easy these days. What is much harder is that the model stays recognisable and that my real clothing is reproduced faithfully. Agnes Jacobi, publisher of Fashion Guide Magazin, in the interview of the AI Issue, translated from German
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI photoshoot?
An AI photoshoot creates finished campaign images from photos that already exist — for example shots of the real garments. It needs no studio, no location and no shoot day. For this editorial it produced a cover and twelve magazine pages.
Does the real clothing stay true to the original?
That is the hardest part, and the reason this page shows before-and-after pairs. On the olive brocade blazer the scroll pattern runs across the shoulder in the same place; on the tulle dress the pearls sit in the same grid.
Are Aylin and Naima real models?
No. Both are invented people, created specifically for this collection. They came out of conversations with the designer, before the first image was made.
Does an AI photoshoot have to be labelled?
Since 2 August 2026 the EU AI Act requires a label whenever real people are shown AI-generated. For invented people it is not mandatory. Fashion Guide Magazin still prints „KI-EDITING“ under every image.
How long does a campaign like this take?
It took an average of four variants before a shot was right. Sorting them takes roughly as long as generating them.
Can a marketing team learn to do this?
Yes, that is what the o.KI Agency workshop is built for. The team practises the whole sequence on a real project from their own company rather than on examples from the internet.
Should your marketing team be able to do this?
This campaign was commissioned work. The sequence behind it is a craft, and a craft can be taught. In the workshop we work through it with your team on a real project from your own company. Just get in touch.
Book a callYou can read more about the designer and publisher Agnes Jacobi on her own site. Fashion Guide Magazin presents its issues itself, and the AI Issue can be bought there.