Shudu Gram is a computer generated social media personality and model, a "virtual influencer".[1][2][3][4][5] The character is considered the world's first digital supermodel.[6][7]

She was created in April 2017 by the fashion photographer Cameron-James Wilson. Her appearance draws largely from the "Princess of South Africa" Barbie doll.[8]

The character has generated controversy as Shudu, depicted as a black woman, was created by a white man.[9][2][10]

References

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  1. ^ Hsu, Tiffany (2019-06-17). "These Influencers Aren't Flesh and Blood, Yet Millions Follow Them". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  2. ^ a b Daigle, Thomas (December 21, 2020). "Mixing reality and fantasy, virtual influencers thrive amid the pandemic". CBC.ca. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  3. ^ Wagman, Kelly (March 30, 2020). "A New Bot on the Block: The Rise of Virtual Influencers and What It Means for Our Online Communities". Fixing Social Media. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  4. ^ Bernard, Zoe (May 10, 2018). "I seriously thought this computer-generated Instagram model with 100,000 followers was real". Business Insider. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  5. ^ Tietjen, Alexa (June 13, 2018). "Shudu: Fashion's First Avatar Supermodel?". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  6. ^ Semic, Sara (July 15, 2019). "Meet The Man Behind The World's First Digital Supermodel". Elle. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  7. ^ Cresci, Elena (September 12, 2018). Green, Stephanie (ed.). "From Instagram to Balmain: The rise of CGI models". BBC. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  8. ^ Marain, Alexandre (April 5, 2019). "From Lil Miquela to Shudu Gram: Meet the virtual models". Vogue Paris. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  9. ^ Jackson, Lauren Michele (May 4, 2018). "Shudu Gram Is A White Man's Digital Projection of Real-Life Black Womanhood". The New Yorker. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  10. ^ Rosenstein, Jenna (February 9, 2018). "People Can't Tell If This Fenty Model Is Real Or Fake". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
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