Rapaport - The Art of the Sell

Cover Art & Digital Retouching · RAPAPORT · November 2026 An editorial cover exploring how diamond and jewellery brands can connect with Gen Z through a more innovative approach to marketing. The visual was initially generated using AI and then refined through detailed manual retouching. Working directly on a tablet, I enhanced key features and reconstructed fine details, including eyelashes, facial expression, lips, skin texture, wrinkles, hands and the smartphone. The process focused on adding depth, precision and realism to the AI-generated image, transforming it into a polished editorial visual while preserving its original concept and aesthetic. The creative direction was to maintain a contrast between realism and painterly expression. The face and hand were intended to appear highly realistic, while the rest of the image retains the soft, expressive quality of the original painting. Inspired by Girl with a Pearl Earring, the concept reimagines the iconic portrait in a contemporary context: the pearl earring becomes an object of desire, presented on a smartphone as something to be purchased. This playful combination connects classical art with Gen Z’s digital shopping habits and explores how jewellery brands can engage with a younger audience.