Fashion brand Huffer sends legal letter to model who spoke out on alleged AI use
Wednesday, 10 June 2026
New Zealand fashion brand Huffer has engaged lawyers against a model who raised concerns about the company’s alleged use of artificial intelligence.
Elijah Timmins-Scanlon, who has previously modelled for Huffer, claimed in a series of social media videos last week that the fashion brand had used his likeness to create an image of an artificially-generated model.
At the time, Huffer managing director Kate Berry rejected the suggestion the image was in any way similar to Timmins-Scanlon - but repeatedly refused to tell The Post whether or not the image in question was of a real model.
“Our friend, who’s posted something, has somehow co-ordinated some likeness of two people that are not those people at all,” she said.
Read More:
Huffer hits back after model accuses brand of using his likeness in AI image
‘Heck knows’: Kiri Allan reveals ‘initial’ NZ First approach
“We use computer-assisted design for all parts of our business, just like everyone.”
Since then, Timmins-Scanlon’s Instagram account, which he used to share his original claims in a series of videos, has been disabled. He said this was not his decision, and he has since reposted his videos on a second account.
In the latest video, he claimed to have been “threatened by lawyers … which is as much as I can say”.
The Post sent Huffer follow-up questions on Tuesday, asking if it had engaged lawyers against Timmins-Scanlon or if it had any further comment around its alleged use of AI. The company did not respond by deadline.
However, both Timmins-Scanlon - who did not wish to comment - and his modelling agency, Red Eleven, confirmed to The Post that a legal letter had been received.
“I can confirm there is a legal [letter] from Huffer, but cannot disclose the nature of the dispute,” said Mandy Jacobson, from Red Eleven Management.
“We support Elijah, he also has a huge amount of support from the modelling community and many others that are involved in the modelling [and] advertising industry.”
The dispute has raised broader questions around the issue of AI use in the modelling industry.
Veteran model and former New Zealand’s Next Top Model host Colin Mathura-Jeffree said he was concerned.
“I’m not really interested in being sold an AI image model to trick me into some emotional relationship with the ‘visual’,” he said.
“In the end the consumer will decide who sells them the product by sales. But history always shows in the end the people will choose people.”
ACT MP Laura McClure has a bill that would criminalise making a pornographic deepfake of someone without their consent.
She told The Post there was “overlap” with the issue of AI being used to mimic someone’s likeness.
“I don't want to get into the dispute of the case … but I do think that what I have learned from consultation on my bill, that there is a real concern from people, and particularly in professional industries, around protecting their own likeness when it comes to the AI world,” she said.
The issue involving models exposed a “grey area” McClure said she was open to looking at addressing in the future.
“If I was to be re-elected, a work programme would be working with the likes of MBIE [and] the Ministry of Regulation to come up with a framework that I think is sensible and looking at ways that we can make sure that people's rights and their image … are protected specifically with industries like modelling and acting.”
On Instagram, Timmins-Scanlon said the original intention of his video was to “voice … concern of the use of AI and the use of likeness in the modelling industry but more broadly the creative industry”.
He asked Huffer to apologise and “then maybe we can move forward from this”.
Correction: Elijah Timmins-Scanlon’s first name was misspelt in an earlier version of this story. (Amended June 10, 2026 at 1.30pm)