# Approved model identity

An approved model identity is a reusable model, generated or based on a consenting real person, that a brand has reviewed and signed off as a set of reference images covering every angle it shoots, so the same person appears across products and seasons.

- URL: https://humblebob.com/definitions/approved-model
- Publisher: HUMBLEBOB (https://humblebob.com)
- Updated: 2026-09-29

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> An approved model identity is a reusable model, generated or based on a consenting real person, that a brand has reviewed and signed off as a set of reference images covering every angle it shoots, so the same person appears across products and seasons.

An approved model identity is to generated imagery what casting is to a shoot: the decision about who represents the brand, made once and reused. It exists as a set of reference images the brand has reviewed and signed off.

![Six photos of the same young woman in neutral basics: front, profile, three-quarter, close-up, full body and walking.](https://humblebob-media.humblebob.workers.dev/humblebob-website/content/def-approved-sheet-1536-e82f4b11a5.webp)

*One identity fixed as a reference set in neutral basics: front, profile, three-quarter, close-up, full body and a movement pose. (AI-generated image)*
## What the reference set covers

- **Angles**: front, profile, three-quarter, close-up, full body and a movement pose.
- **Body**: height, build and the sample size the model wears, so fit and captions stay true.
- **Fixed attributes**: face structure, skin tone, eye colour, body proportions, hair colour and base length.
- **Controlled variables**: hair styling, makeup and expression, each approved as a variant of the base.

## Generated or based on a real person

An approved identity can be fully generated, or based on a real model who consents. Brands have done both. H&M worked with the Swedish company Uncut on digital twins of about 30 models, who keep the rights to their twins and are paid when they are used; the [first images](https://hmgroup.com/news/hm-continues-its-exploration-of-creativity-with-ai/) came out in July 2025. For identities based on real people, written consent should cover scope, purpose, pay and duration; New York's Fashion Workers Act has [required exactly that](https://dol.ny.gov/new-york-state-fashion-workers-act-faqs) since June 2025. A fully generated identity avoids consent contracts, but check that the face does not resemble a real, recognisable person.

## Why approve instead of prompt

A description of a person matches millions of faces, so an identity has to be fixed as images to stay the same across hundreds of products. Approval also puts the brand's judgement where it belongs: on who the customer sees, before production runs at volume.

![Four different women with deep brown skin and short coily hair in the same plain basics, standing in a row.](https://humblebob-media.humblebob.workers.dev/humblebob-website/content/def-approved-lineup-1536-803367fa57.webp)

*Four different people who all fit the same short description, which is why an identity has to be fixed as images rather than words. (AI-generated image)*
Measured in practice through [character consistency](https://humblebob.com/definitions/character-consistency). At HUMBLEBOB, digital models are cast for the brand in step 1 of [How we work](https://humblebob.com/approach) and approved by the brand's team before they appear in any image. See [Digital models](https://humblebob.com/services/characters).

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About the publisher: HUMBLEBOB is a production partner for fashion imagery. We read your brand, sort your briefing, make the assets, deliver them ready for your channels and put what we learn into the next drop.