"It feels disconnected and emotionless.”
Nishat Linen’s latest Autumn-Winter 2025 campaign has stirred controversy after featuring AI-generated models.
The campaign was intended to represent innovation and creativity, but it quickly drew criticism for feeling detached and unnatural.
Social media users accused the fashion brand of prioritising technology over authenticity, calling the AI visuals “lifeless” and “strangely robotic.”
Many followers commented that fashion should reflect real people, emotions, and imperfections rather than digital perfection created by machines.
The campaign’s visuals show ultra-realistic models wearing Nishat’s latest designs, positioned in glossy yet oddly sterile digital backgrounds.
While the images were meant to highlight design details, audiences found them unsettling and questioned the brand’s marketing direction.
One Instagram user wrote: “Show what you’re selling on actual humans, not on digital characters made for downloads.”
Another commented: “If you’re saving money by not hiring models, then reduce the prices accordingly for customers.”
The criticism spread quickly, with many calling the campaign a “tone-deaf attempt to appear futuristic” in Pakistan’s fashion industry.
Some accused the brand of masking cost-cutting under the pretence of innovation, suggesting it was a business decision more than creativity.
Nishat Linen responded publicly, acknowledging the backlash and assuring customers that their feedback had been received and valued deeply.
The brand stated: “We understand the importance of seeing products on real models to capture their true essence.”
They further added that they were exploring creative approaches but aimed to stay committed to authentic customer experiences.
Despite this response, many social media users continued to question why one of the country’s biggest fashion names used AI.
A user remarked:
“Stop using AI, it instantly turns people away. Everyone can recognise it and just scroll past.”
Another wrote: “Such a big brand shouldn’t rely on technology this way. It feels disconnected and emotionless.”
Several comments suggested hiring newcomers or fresh models instead of replacing them with artificial ones for commercial purposes.
One said: “This looks like a cost-saving trick. Pay real models or actresses instead of hiding behind digital illusions.”
The backlash mirrors growing global criticism toward brands adopting AI tools to replace creative professionals and real human talent.
In recent years, international names like Levi’s, Zalando, and Balmain have all experimented with AI models in their advertising.
While some praised the innovation, others viewed it as diminishing the artistic and emotional connection of fashion campaigns.
Even major companies such as Coca-Cola have previously faced online backlash over AI-generated content that audiences called “soulless.”
The fashion world remains divided between embracing technology and preserving authenticity, with Nishat Linen now caught in that debate.
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