A few weeks back this picture was in the news.
The model Filippa Hamilton was retouched beyond belief by the Ralph Lauren designers. The model’s hips and waist are way narrower than her shoulders in this and it all looks very repulsive, does it not? Well, Ralph Lauren apologized for this mistake and said:
After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman’s body.
‘We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the calibre of our artwork represents our brand appropriately.’
The model herself was all over the news channels giving interviews. She alleges that she did not know about the retouching and says she was fired by RL for being too fat. She is 5′ 10″ and weighs 120 lbs. Any sane person with an iota of commonsense would immediately calculate her BMI, which is 17.2 and say she is way below the healthy weight range and is categorized as underweight(BMI<18.5 is underweight). Now in what universe is underweight too fat? Apparently in the Ralph Lauren universe it is. Ralph Lauren has said that she was fired for breaking the terms of the contract. Now legally I have no problems if the contract stated she should not exceed 110 pounds and was fired because she did, I have a problem with the way women are portrayed by these high-end fashion designers. What I don’t understand is that who looks at these disgustingly thin magazine spread models and says ‘wow she looks nice, nice body’? Isn’t fashion driven by the customer? Why then are we not opposing such distorted body images? If one observes carefully, one thing about what RL wants from his models is clear. A well-developed upper body but lower body of an adolescent boy! What else explains the existence of breasts but not of hips?
PS: Another picture of another Ralph Lauren model ran on a website where the model was also photo shopped to impossible thinness and the hips-narrower-than-shoulders syndrome! This time there is no word from RL yet. I am sure this new model was also too fat and broke the ‘terms’ of the contract with the devil!
shilpadesh
Damn… I am going clueless to figure out what is the appropriate and and what is not! That is ridiculous to have weight and other stuff in the contract!
I am not sure if you are aware, a german magazine has decided to use only normal women instead of models going forward. Isn’t that a change in the trend? Hope everyone follows it… Personally, i would be happy to spare models from such starvation and mental agony to go sub-zero sizes!
one bug in this post btw… there is no title!
Oops!
Yes I saw that news piece about ‘normal’ women. US needs to follow that. Here, there are plus sized models but they are all sizes 10-14…..but 10-14 is normal in real women!!!
This is so disgusting.. You know, I had read somewhere about how this super thin super model thingie started. Apparently most designers, initially were gay, and they used to conceptualize boyish models to model their clothes. Soon, that became the norm and these became the routine, with fashionable sizes reducing further as time progressed.
The air brushing done by RL is disgusting! And calling her fat??? They certainly need their heads examined.. I have read about the methods that these super models use to remain thin – not only is it scary, they are also doing permanent damage to their bodies and their future..
Yes yes I read that too. But if they were gay they should have had only male models. They really made a royal mess of the whole enterprise. These women have severe body image issues.
Title, please!
Disgusting!
I was so fired up that I didn’t bother to see if there was a title
It looks as if they have placed a head on a bamboo stick
Hehe good analogy. Thats what they want….sticks….no hips, no curves..only sticks!
Hi Shilpa. Getting on with my Diwali induced backlog. This model looks weird is all I can say. Whoever did the air brushing was not very good at it. Her head is way to big for her body!
Yes it looks repulsive.
The modeling industry – especially in the west – sucks. And not just on grounds of malnutrition of the models. I was watching a show on TV about ’smartest model’ and these models – male and female are dumb as doorknobs. Naturally so. Most come into the industry at impossibly young ages of 15 and 16. Practically child labour. What maturity levels can one expect from these teens? Plus I understand that in the US (don’t know about other countries), being a successful model (for girls) and footballer (for guys) is like the ultimate teen fantasy? People who do well in their studies are social outcasts. Is that correct? If thats the case, then small wonder that the girls starve themselves to size zero.
Yes modeling and sports are BIG here.
I did read somewhere that the focus is shifting to plus size models or at least models who are not at death’s door due to starvation. Good news if thats true. But I have my doubts. It maybe a story planted by the couture houses to deflect negative publicity coming from the size zero critics.
But Deepa the plus size models are sizes 10-14, which is really not plus size!
there needs to be more focus on being fit…not too thin not obese either..as long as the bmi is in normal levels i think it should be fine.
P.S:how did you get that smiley at the bottom centre
I think wordpress does that for some themes!
What rubbish!! She looks weird!! RL should make amends immediately, and refrain from doing this again. On another note, makes me quite happy to know that many of these cover pictures might have actually been ‘touched up’
He he he!
Hehe I know! It is heartening to know that even models have to be touched up!