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Shudu Gram, as it is written in her Instagram, is “The World’s First Digital Supermodel”. But who is she really ?


Who is Shudu Gram ?

Cameron James Wilson, a London fashion photographer, created Shudu Gram, a digital model, in April 2017. He created Shudu because he thought that “we live in such a filtered world now, where real is becoming fake. I wanted to create something that is fantasy toward becoming more real, and bringing it completely the other way.” Of course, he is not revolutionary in the world of fashion, but he considers himself a pioneer in virtual modeling. 

Her creator was inspired by the South African Barbie doll and real models such as Grace Jones, Naomie Campbell or Alex Wek. She seems so realistic that many people need time to realize that she is not real. Only one year after her creation, Shudu Gram gained more than 100 000 followers on Instagram. She worked for famous brands like Balmain, Vogue Australia, Fenty Beauty or Cosmopolitan. 

On a “questions and answers” on Instagram, a person asked Cameron Wilson if he was proud of his work. He answered “I can definitely say now I am super proud of My work”. 


Opinions on Shudu Gram 

Shudu Gram causes both fascination and criticism. 

For some people, the main problem is that she is virtual. However, for many people, the controversy about Shudu Gram is elsewhere : it is the fact she had not been presented as a digital model. It was only long time after her presentation that the truth was revealed.
Other people judge that Shudu Gram is against the image of true black models. These people consider that it would have been more appropriate to use a real black model rather than a virtual model.
Nevertheless, for another group of people, using Shudu Gram has the opposite effect. In fact, Shudu Gram is not the only digital model, there is also Miquel, a model with freckles. Therefore, with these digital models, there may be a desire to focus on the people who do not fit in the “beauty standards”. Indeed, wouldn’t it be necessary to use digital technologies to promote minorities ? 

 

GRACIA Julie

M2 Cyberjustice – Promotion 2022/2023


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