Two images of two different models, which appeared at the end of a video for the high-fashion brand on The Times website, were in contention.
One image, which showed a model leaning against a wall wearing a long dress that covered most of her body, was ruled irresponsible.
The ASA considered her torso and arms, while slender, appeared to be out of proportion with her head and lower body.
“Further, her pose elongated her torso and accentuated her waist so that it appeared to be very small,” the ASA said.
The authority also said her dark eye make-up and sombre facial expression made her face appear “gaunt”.
The model was considered “unhealthily thin” and Gucci was ordered to remove the image from their ads.
However, another image from the same ad that was raised with the ASA, showing a woman sitting on a sofa, was not considered irresponsible.
The model, who wore a high-necked yellow jacket and a mid-length skirt, was not “excessively underweight” and her legs were in proportion with the rest of her body, the ASA said.
The image was deemed acceptable and did not need to be removed.
Model’s weight a ‘subjective issue’: Gucci
Gucci told the ASA that although the models had slim builds, they did not appear “unhealthily thin”.
The label said the ad, which showed a dance party, was aimed at an older sophisticated audience, and whether the model looked unhealthy was a subjective issue.
They argued the model’s make-up was natural, the lighting was warm to ensure no hollows were caused by shadows, no bones were visible and the garments were not revealing.
Many on social media disagreed with Gucci’s arguments and praised the banning of the image which showed someone “so far from the norm”.
The models in this ad not only all look unnaturally thin and with no apparent muscle tone, they also appear to be drugged,” one Facebook user said.
“It had a creepy vibe. Nobody looks healthy, or alive. They seem lifeless, sick, and out of it.”
Some said the image appeared to be badly photoshopped and had “removed half her body”.
Others defended naturally thin people and said banning the image was a variety of body shaming.
“Fat shaming is recognised as a real and valid complaint. Thin shaming should be too. Being really thin does not automatically make someone unhealthy,” one said.
“Now judges are pretending to be able to judge one’s health simply by looking.”
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This post originally appeared on ABC News.
*** Featured Image via Gucci
Top Comments
The fashion world lives in their own unrealistic fantasy. The sooner the world knows about this, the better. Not all of us can live up to the unrealistic perfect look of Jennifer Hawkins for instance and she's had work done too. This peddling of perfection is leading to dangerous territories for young girls. The fashion world could be making more money if they made fashion for everyday women instead of being stuck like a broken record on something that is not realistic. It's a sad world when something has to be 'perfect' all the time.
I get that some girls can be naturally thin, and that some of those may be caught in these bans, but I would very surprised if many of these models are truly this naturally slim. I think the vast majority are being bullied and drugged into this state. Of course this raises the issue that they could choose another career instead, but most of these girls are just girls, young and impressionable desperate for this seemingly glamorous career.
I really think that any young person who becomes a model should have parental supervision at all times due to the very real possibility that they will be encouraged to lose weight and tahe drugs to do so. A parent who can speak up for them and say, excuse me my daughter is within a healthy BMI" and then if the daughter is not given the job they can sue for discrimination. Just like years ago when employers used to say to women that they wouldn't hire them if they were married, women sued them and nowadays very few employers would be silly enough to ask. This is the only way you will stop agencies bullying girls to lose weight if they have a responsible adult with them to speak up for them and be a witness. no doubt these mothers will be called momagers but I think the dangers are too great for these young girls, not to mention that I bet there is plenty of sexual harassment and worse goes on when these young girls are alone drugged and weak from hunger. I've heard enough stories of them being taken advantage of. I remember Kate Moss talking about how she didn't want to go topless for some shoot when she was very young but they hassled her till she gave in. This is why they need a mother there to speak up for them, not an agent because that person will just see dollar signs.
On another note is there any evidence that anorexic underage girls actually sells clothes, because these girls have never made me want to buy the clothes, as they look like ill young girls playing dress ups in their mothers clothes. And I don't know one person who finds these girls attractive.
You would think one designer out there might think it makes sense to use older healthier looking models as surely this will sell more clothes. Or at the very least you think one designer would try this for a season. For people who think they are so cutting edge they are ridiculously sheep like, terrified to use healthy attractive women as their models just because everyone else isn't. I think the designer who has the vision to break out will see rewards because it's not brain surgery to assume that people will buy more clothe we if placed on an attractive (and that means healthy looking, age appropriate model. The age thing is weird too, because whilst I know many women who wish they looked younger, I don't know of anyone who wants to look like a 14 year old again. Even older teens don't usually look as attractive as women in their twenties when women start to grow out of their gawking as. (I realise there are exceptions to this though)