SHAH ALAM - Taiwanese American model Shereen Wu has accused celebrated fashion designer Michael Costello of posting a doctored runway photo that misrepresented her racial identity.
In a viral TikTok video, viewed over 1.8 million times, Wu claims Costello, known for his celebrity clientele including Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez, uploaded an altered image from a Los Angeles fashion show.
The edited photo displayed Wu in a black gown, but with her face modified to resemble a white woman.
The 21-year-old freelance model, who is not affiliated with any agency, relies on modest engagements to maintain her career.
Although she wasn't compensated for participating in the Art Hearts event during Los Angeles Fashion Week, Wu had hoped for heightened visibility.
Instead, she expresses dismay, highlighting that the edited image not only misrepresented her but also disregarded the contributions of the makeup artist, hair stylist, and photographer involved in the show.
Wu's initial discovery of the altered image, first pointed out by her mother, sparked a mixture of shock and sadness.
"My first thought was, 'Who would alter a person's face like that?'
"Then, I felt fear, followed by sorrow, especially because my mom had to witness her daughter's face being altered," Wu recounted.
Costello, in a now-deleted Instagram statement last Thursday, denied any hand in altering the photo, attributing it to "fan art" received from an unnamed source.
He confessed to carelessly sharing it on his Instagram Stories amidst an "emotional rollercoaster," focusing on reposting content where he was tagged. (Costello has not commented further.)
The origin of the modified photo remains a mystery, with Wu suspecting that someone, potentially using AI, edited her face to appear Caucasian—a theory supported by Costello's Instagram post.
Following legal threats prompted by her TikTok exposure, Wu sought support from the Model Alliance, a fashion industry advocacy group, who provided her with legal counsel.
Through her experience, Wu wishes to shed light on the harmful consequences of artistic misappropriation and the dehumanising impact of such actions.
"It's deeply hurtful to have your work taken.
"It strips away our very humanity, the essence of creating beauty, and the terrifying possibility of that beauty being distorted," she added.