The line for what is industry appropriate thin and too thin in the modeling industry is easily blurred—and fashion label Gucci has crossed the line, according to the Advertising Standards Authority of Britain.
Fashion label Gucci acted “irresponsible” when it featured a woman who appeared “unhealthily thin” for Alessandro Michele’s Cruise 2016 Collection. The ad first appeared on the Times website in December of 2015.
The ad features a woman wearing a chevron patterned dress that covers practically her entire body except for her lower legs and ankles. The Advertising Standards Authority determined that the model’s “torso and arms were quite slender and appeared to be out of proportion with her head and lower body.” The Authority also said the “sombre” facial expression and makeup “made her face look gaunt.”
Gucci defended the advertisement, disagreeing with the assessment. The high-end fashion brand believed that the body type of the model in question was “not depicted unhealthily thin” and the makeup was “natural rather than heavy.”
Gucci said the ad’s target audience is “older, sophisticated.”
The Advertising Standards Authority of Britain came to the conclusion it should ban the advertisement, citing that Gucci breached CAP Code (Edition 12) Rule 1.3, which is responsible advertising.
The line between ’thin‘ and ’too thin’ is a hot topic in the fashion industry. Supermodel Erin Heatherton recently shared that Victoria’s Secret constantly pressured her to lose weight, which lead her to depression. Ultimately, she decided to leave the brand behind.
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