ellesse will become the first sportswear fashion brand to feature an AI model in its new SS19 campaign, ‘My Style Is Who I Am’.

Celebrating diverse style and individuality, the campaign will feature the world’s first digital supermodel: Shudu. The AI star was cast by ellesse alongside a line-up of influencers including thrill-seeking stunt expert Harry Gallagher, streetwear and style figurehead Magnus Ronning and notably Shudu’s real-life muse – actress, model and musician Misty.

The campaign celebrates the launch of the SS19 collection, which uses 90s rave culture design details and experiments with repeat logos, pastels, and splashes of neon. Cuffed waistbands and bat-wing cuts echoing throughout the collections establish the brand’s reference to 80s archive sports design. Fabrics including premium cotton, crushed velvet and velour are introduced to the collections and juxtaposed with traditional sportswear designs including bra tops, cycling shorts and shellsuits.

ellesse has become a go-to for bold and playful apparel and footwear, so exploring boundary-pushing concepts with technology and influencers for its SS19 campaign is a natural move for the brand.

Simon Breckon, ellesse brand director, said: “Breaking the rules of sameness has been a longstanding ethos underpinning for the brand over the last sixty years and ellesse has now taken the exploration of individual style one-step further for the SS19 campaign by rendering an AI’s style being influenced by an IRL muse. One thing we didn’t want to do though was just offer a spot in our campaign line-up to a digital influencer, when we could also offer this creative opportunity to the real talent behind the inspiration in the campaign – so we decided to feature both equally!”

Shudu’s creator Cameron-James Wilson is a British fashion photographer and visual artist, who hopes to champion diversity and collaborate with under-represented communities in his work. On the campaign, James said: ‘When it comes to collaborations, I’m always excited about having the opportunity to do something new. Working with ellesse was the first time I’d see Shudu in sportswear, the first time she’d be ‘shot’ by another photographer and the first time I’d be working with Misty. It’s women like Misty who inspired me to create Shudu after all, so having her be a part of my work, it’s come full circle.”

You can shop the collection on ellesse.co.uk