What is effort signalling? The anti-AI trend taking over luxury fashion
The distinctive sound of pencil scratching against paper is increasingly unusual in the world of fashion imagery, yet this half-forgotten sound opens Prada ’s 2026 holiday campaign. Across a series of films for the Italian luxury house, woodland creatures, snow-covered landscapes and fantastical characters all come to life through the painstaking art of hand-drawn animation. For the project, the…
The practice of highlighting the time, skill, and labor involved in creating luxury fashion items has gained popularity, giving rise to the term "effort signalling," or "effort maxxing." This trend emerged as artificial intelligence became capable of quickly generating elaborate images, prompting luxury brands to emphasize the human touch in their work.
Prada's 2026 holiday campaign, for example, featured hand-drawn animations of woodland creatures and fantastical characters, brought to life by Disney animator John Pomeroy and shot by photographer Glen Luchford. The campaign aimed to evoke a nostalgic winter fantasy while showcasing the value of the human touch in art.
Other luxury brands have also adopted effort signalling. Loewe commissioned illustrator Joanna Blemont and a team of artists to produce over 2,000 individual watercolor paintings for an animated film, while Hermès collaborated with French artist Linda Merad to create a website filled with grainy illustrations of her whimsical animals. Chanel, too, enlisted illustrator Karlotta Freier to create a hand-drawn animated teaser for its autumn/winter 2026 haute couture show.
The beauty industry has also jumped on the bandwagon. Luxury haircare brand Oribe worked with French mosaic artist Mathilde Herrero to incorporate her artwork into its packaging and campaign films. These efforts showcase the painstaking process behind the final product, emphasizing the human skill and craftsmanship that go into luxury goods.
However, the trend is not without controversy. In December 2024, Valentino faced criticism for using AI-generated imagery to promote a handbag, while Gucci faced similar backlash in February 2025 for using AI-generated images during Demna's first runway show. These incidents highlight the growing unease among consumers about the potential for AI to replace human jobs and reduce investment in human creativity, even as prices for luxury goods continue to soar.
Despite these concerns, the appeal of hand-drawn and crafted items remains strong, as luxury houses continue to emphasize the value of human effort in their creations.
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