Italian luxury powerhouse Valentino is facing a severe reputational crisis after releasing an AI-generated campaign for its new 'DeVain' handbag. The visuals sparked an immediate and intense backlash from loyal consumers and the creative community, marking a critical flashpoint in the luxury sector's uneasy adoption of generative AI.

The controversial imagery, which features distorted, surreal elements and models seemingly emerging from gold hardware, was widely condemned across social media platforms. Critics denounced the visuals as ‘disturbing,’ ‘lazy,’ and ‘cheap.’

For a brand like Valentino, which trades on the core principles of haute couture and human artistry- values intrinsically linked to hand-stitched embroidery and meticulous craftsmanship—outsourcing its visual narrative to a machine is perceived as a fundamental disconnect. Research confirms, when luxury brands disclose the use of AI in advertising, consumers often evaluate the resulting ads as being made with lower effort. This perception directly damages the brand's authenticity.

The backlash risks eroding the very foundation of Valentino's brand equity at a challenging time. Its parent company is working to sustain revenue against luxury market deceleration and is already dealing with a 22 per cent drop in operating profit in 2024.

Valentino, which generates 95 per cent of its online sales from Fashion and is aggressively expanding its high-touch, experiential retail network - including new flagship openings in Riyadh and Tokyo in 2025 - is clearly prioritizing long-term relevance. However, this failed AI experiment demonstrates the significant risk of prioritizing cost-cutting efficiency over the emotional resonance that defines the luxury consumer experience.