Issue #2: The Global Rise

The virtual influencer map is going global. This week: Imma crosses 3M, India's Kyra and Naina AVTR land major brand deals, and three new AI art styles dominate Civitai's weekly buzz charts.

Imma (@imma.gram) — 3M Instagram Japan's most iconic digital persona reached an estimated 3 million Instagram followers, cementing her status as one of the world's top virtual influencers. ModelingCafe's pink-bob creation has evolved far beyond her IKEA and Porsche roots — 2026 brand deals include Coach and Calvin Klein, leaning into luxury fashion territory. Imma's aesthetic blends street culture, contemporary art, and a deliberately non-hyper-realistic look that signals digital identity rather than hiding it.

Kyra — India's Pioneer India's first widely recognized virtual influencer, Kyra has grown to ~273,000 followers and collaborated with BoAt, Realme, and Tata Cliq. She sits at the intersection of South Asian beauty standards and AI-optimized content production — a proof point that virtual influencer studios can thrive outside the US/Japan axis.

Naina AVTR — Fastest Rising Indian VI Naina AVTR (~212,000 followers) became the headline this week: she signed a confirmed brand deal with AJIO, one of India's largest fashion e-commerce platforms. With 355 posts and a fitness/beauty/entertainment focus, Naina is the most active Indian virtual influencer by content output. Her AJIO partnership marks a milestone for brand adoption in South Asia.

Brand adoption of virtual influencers rose from 60% to 73% of all surveyed companies worldwide as of 2026. Beauty leads with 89% adoption, followed by fashion (78%) and gaming (76%). 1

CMOs are now allocating up to 30% of influencer marketing budgets to virtual creators. 2

Three styles dominating this week's Civitai buzz charts:

Gothic Neon (102K weekly buzz) Vixon's Anima/Pony Gothic Neon LoRA fuses moody gothic fashion with electric neon contrast — deep shadows, glowing violet and pink accents, dramatic close-ups. It runs on the Anima/Pony architecture and has become the go-to for editorial dark fantasy AI girl content. 3

Velvet's Mythic Fantasy (209K weekly buzz) The week's highest-buzz style LoRA. Multi-architecture support (Flux + Pony + Illustrious + Anima) makes it one of the most versatile fantasy style packs available. Think ethereal female characters in mythological settings, volumetric lighting, rich jewel tones. 4

Aesthetic Quality Modifiers — Masterpiece (126K weekly buzz) Not a style in the traditional sense, but a quality enhancement LoRA designed to push photographic refinement and skin texture realism. The 126K buzz reflects a community trend toward high-fidelity portrait output rather than stylized art — the "editorial photography" aesthetic wave. 5