One of the most glamorous and progressive industries in the world, fashion industry, seems to have forgotten to set a limit when it comes to body image. As a matter of fact, there are times when celebs, known organisations, regulators, and other authoritative bodies have come up and spoke about models and fashion industry norms that seem beyond a normal human. At a time, when the whole world is keeping a sharp eye on the fashion industry, Italian brand Gucci has recently added fuel to the fire of the debate of unhealthy body image for women with one of their recently published ad. This ad has landed into controversy and UK’s leading independent regulator has put their foot down by banning this ad in Britain.
UK’s independent regulator, Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has slammed Gucci ad that features a ‘gaunt’ model as irresponsible and also that model on this ad looks ‘unhealthily thin’. The photograph of a model in question appeared on a Gucci video ad that was posted on The Times of London website last year in December. This photograph has two models one sitting and the other one leaning against a wall. As per the regulators, the model leaning against the wall looks unhealthily thin and gaunt, and also that it violates the responsible advertising rules set by ASA.
According to the regulator, the model in the said ad posed by elongating her torso and has also accentuated her waist so to make it look small. Further, they stated that her ‘somber facial expression and dark makeup, particularly around her eyes, made her face look gaunt.’ The regulator also barred this advertisement from appearing in Britain in its current form. Post this controversy, this world famous Italian fashion brand has removed this video ad from their official YouTube channel.
On the other hand, Gucci has defended their ad by stating that this image is a part of a video that portrays a dance party and it aims as older as well as the sophisticated audience that mostly follows the website where the video was posted. Also, that the bones of the models were not visible anywhere in the ads and that the models in this ad are ‘toned and slim’. About the ‘unhealthily thin’ comment, Gucci stated “it was, to some extent, a subjective issue as to whether a model looked unhealthily thin,”
In the recent past, the fashion industry has been facing serious charges and criticism regarding the use of thin models that projects an unhealthy body image for both men and women. Amidst all these debates, this ASA decision can be a milestone and precedence for the fashion industry.
Story Inputs: New York Times