OK, that's weird. Popular fast retailers Shein Discovering yourself in hot water this week after Hawkeye shoppers discover what seems to be LuigiSimilarity modeling on E website. Yes, you read the right one – the same Luigi Mangione currently in prison Facing murder.
This strange discovery prompted Shein to conduct a comprehensive investigation into how the defendant's face eventually sold their goods. Talk about PR nightmare you don't see.
The no longer active product list has an image that appears to show someone similar to Mangione's modeling short-sleeved shirt. Social media users quickly spot the similarities and share screenshots, and then during flash sales, the list disappears faster than liquidation items.
So, how did such a thing happen? According to Shein's damage control team, they pointed their fingers at external suppliers. “The images in question were provided by a third-party vendor and were deleted immediately upon discovery.” Tell CNNprobably while frantically checking all other products on its website.
For budget retailers, the timing will not be worse. In December, Mangione was accused of shooting UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, who has become one of the most well-known faces in recent criminal cases. Selling clothes with his portrait is not only a deaf person—it's downright strange.
“We have strict standards for all listings on the platform. We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring process, and taking appropriate action against suppliers in accordance with our policies,” a Shein spokesperson said.
The incident highlights the increasing attention to AI-generated content in advertising. As practice becomes more common, the use of Mangione’s image seems to be one of the most extreme examples of using AI to create ads. Other major retailers such as J.Crew have also faced criticism recently of using AI-generated models.
The question now is whether Shein's investigation will find a system issue with how they review their content from third-party vendors, or that's just a one-time error that slips through the cracks. Either way, they need to do some serious reputation management to bounce off this stylish artificial pas.
