Lessons In Photoshop From Ralph Lauren

A recent Ralph Lauren ad has sparked plenty of controversy in the fashion world. This excessively retouched image of one of the brand’s models, Filippa Hamilton, made its way into the media. The model had been Photoshopped to an alarmingly thin size. Her head and shoulders were airbrushed to be significantly larger than her hips, and the image was overall extremely distorted. It was clear that Hamilton, who is 5’10 and 120 pounds-a size 4- was not this freakishly frail.

Ralph Lauren denied responsibility for the retouching of the image and attempted to sue the website that published the “unapproved image.” After further investigation had ensued, Lauren released a statement saying

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 caliber of our artwork represents our brand appropriately.

Then, just when the brand thought their troubles were over, Filippa Hamilton finally spoke out against the brand. She revealed that she had been fired months before the incident due to the fact that she was “overweight.” One hundred and twenty pound Hamilton, who had been working for Ralph Lauren since 2002, said she received a letter saying she was being let go because she would no longer fit into the designer’s sample sizes.

Representatives from the brand merely denied the accusation, saying that Hamilton’s firing was a “result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract.” As if they could be any be any vaguer. And to top it all off, this new outrageously Photoshopped ad featuring model Valentina Zelyaeva turned up in a window display in Sydney, Australia. Zalyaeva, who is also 5’10 and a size 4, has not yet been dropped by the brand but I’m thinking this spells trouble for Ralph!

Since these distorted ads have surfaced, many esteemed members of the fashion industry have commented on the issue. Most feel that what the brand did was inappropriate, not only for the extreme airbrushing, but the firing of the “overweight” Filippa Hamilton. But do these people have any room to talk? The majority of high fashion brands only use skinny models, and justify this by saying that thin girls are the only ones who will fit into sample sizes. These usually range from size 2 to 4 and are the garments that designers send down the runway. As of recently, size 8 and above is considered “plus-sized.”

Though there is always talk of how plus-sizes are discriminated against in the fashion industry, they have come a long way. Huge designers like John Galliano and Mark Fast have caused a stir by plus-sized models in their London and Paris shows. But with that being said, it makes you wonder- why should using bigger sizes on the runway be the cause such controversy? According to a study done by the Los Angeles Times, the average woman is a size 14. A recent New York Times article also reported that although it varies based on race, height and other factors, a “healthy” women’s’ measurements average at around 41-34-43. On the runway you will find models with a 35-inch bust, 27-inch waist, and 37.5-inch hip.

It's ads like these controversial Ralph Lauren ones that cause women, men, and even naturally thin models to have a skewed self-image.

In a recent interview Grace Coddington, creative director at Vogue, expressed her concern about the effects of the incident and what the magazine is doing to try to help matters:

It is a big problem in the fashion industry. And you go to meetings to discuss it, and you think it's kind of futile, because it's such a big thing, and in the end, people are always asking for more and they're always asking for thinner…. [Models] have to be a little thinner than you and I because you always photograph a little fatter, but you don't have to go to the extremes they go to. And because they're kids, they take it too far and they can't regulate their lives, and next thing you know, they're anorexic, and it is tragic.

And I don't know what the answer is, except to keep on it, which we're all trying to do. Anna’s trying to do it. Personally, we're not allowed, at Vogue, to work with girls who are very thin, but you never know, because you could book them and think they're a certain size, and they turn up on the shoot and suddenly they've spun into this anorexic situation. And you're on the spot and you have to get the job done and you have one day to do it, and what do you do? But you try to be responsible, as Anna is.

Hmm..if Vogue can start to break the mold and not use pin-thin models, than anybody can! And as for Ralph Lauren, what’s next? Will this incident be the downfall of the world-renowned brand or will our society and the fashion world turn the other cheek?? And who should take the blame? I say, enough excuses Ralph, time for an apology!