The image of filipa used for Ralph Lauren blue label poster vs. fillipa on the runway.
The next day, Filippa announced the company had fired her for being too fat. 'They fired me because they said I was overweight. They said I couldn't fit in their clothes any more, because I was too large. I saw my face in this extremely skinny girl - which is not me. It makes me sad. It makes me think that Ralph Lauren wants to have this kind of image - and it's not healthy, it's not right. 'And it's not a good example. When you see this picture young women will look at this and think it's normal, and it's not.' (Daily Mail, 15th October 2009). Her lawyer, Geoffrey Menin, said the image is 'gross distortion of how she really looks and fears it will be extremely damaging to her.' Filippa said she was concerned about its impact on the public. 'I'm very proud of what I look like, and I think a role model should look healthy.' (Daily Mail, 15th October 2009)
The image was used as a poster advertisement in Japan, later last week, another image was found in a shop window in Sydney. Ralph Lauren admitted to the poor imaging and retouching. Response has added to the size zero debate, that such pictures are a powerful force, having a toxic influence on young girls, and that size zero models contribute to the development of eating disorders (Daily Mail, 10th October, 2009).
The size 0 Debate: Update
In 2008 the editor of UK men’s magazine GQ admitted to airbrushing the cover image of Kate Winslett ‘ to improve the image’ ‘Practically every photo you see in a magazine will have been digitally altered in this way." (BBC NEWS, 9th October 2008) Winslett apolagised for the slimmed photographs 'Look, I don't look like that'. I'm not mad at the magazine, but I have no intention of looking like that." (people.com, November 4th 2009)
On the 5th October 2009: French legislator, Boyer announces he intends product label and campaign posters to carry a warning when the photograph has been digitally enhancedto be manditory in France, the warning would read "Photograph retouched to modify the physical appearance of a person." (Time, 5th October, 2009)
5th October 2009: Germany’s most popular women’s magazine Brigitte banned professional models, saying from 2010 it would only use models with 'normal figures'. (Guardian, 5th October, 2009)
12th October 2009 iconic German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld was quoted saying, “Curvy women have no place on the catwalk…no one wants to see curvy women," He continues by saying the world of fashion is about "dreams and illusions" and dismisses Brigittes decision to no longer feature professional models as “absurd”. (SMH, 12th October 2009)
The media creates unrealistic expectations for young women (Holmstrom 2004). The idealized beauty in these photos, like the images we see from the Ralph Lauren campaigns, give people false expectations of how how they should look. Our daily reality becomes filled with frustration of the normality of imperfection, that we don't look Slim like the girls starving to be on the catwalks or photoshopped to impossible proportions on add campaigns. Positive actions are taking place, like that of Boyer's suggested legislation and Brigitte magazines ban on skinny models, but the reality is, the 'high rollers' of the fashion world, like Karl Lagafield and Ralph Lauren who are very influential, whos many look up to from magazine editors, to consumers, are only reinforcing the issue, and don't intend to change how they present fashion any time soon.
BBC NEWS, 9th October 2008, Magazine admits airbrushing Winslet, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2643777.stm
Deanne, J . "Eating Disorders and the Media." (February 10, 2002).viewed 10th October http://www.eating-disorders.org.uk/info.htm
Daily Mail, “Ralph Lauren apologises for digitally retouching slender model to make her head look bigger than her waist” 10th October 2009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1219046/Ralph-Lauren-digitally-retouches-slender-model-make-look-THINNER.html
Daily Mail, 15th October 2009, 'I was sacked for being too fat,' says 'stick insect' model digitally retouched to make her head bigger than her waisthttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1220397/Photoshopped-Ralph-Lauren-model-Filippa-Hamilton-fired-fat.html
Guardian, 5th October, 2009. Brigitte, Germany's most popular women's mag, bans professional models http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/05/brigitte-german-magazine-bans-models
People.com, Kate Winslet 'Furious' Over Body Airbrush Claims by Pete Norman, November 4th 2008http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20237699,00.html
The Huffington Post , 14th October 2009, Ralph Lauren Apologizes For Image Of Emaciated Model: "We Are Responsible" (UPDATE) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/09/emboing-boingem-and-ralph_n_311593.html
The Times, June 13, 2009 Vogue editor launches new war on size-zero fashion, Will Pavia
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article6489243.ece
Telegraph, 6th October, 2009, German women's magazine Brigitte bans modelshttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/6263810/German-womens-magazine-Brigitte-bans-models.html
Time, 5th October 2009, France May Put Warning Labels on Airbrushed Photos http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1927227,00.html?cnn=yes
SMH, 12th October 2009, No one wants to see curvy women: Karl Lagerfeld, http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/no-one-wants-to-see-curvy-women-karl-lagerfeld-20091012-gskk.html
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