Ralph Lauren fires “overweight” model

Filippa Hamilton is the model whose image was photo-shopped by Ralph Lauren so that her waist looked smaller than her head. The image has created a firestorm of negative publicity for Ralph Lauren. And the label has threatened to sue bloggers who publish the guilty image. Well, here it is again, next to a photo of what Hamilton actually looks like.

Hamilton, who is 5’10” and a size 8, claims that she was fired by Ralph Lauren in April for being “overweight.”

‘I’ve been working with them since I was 15 years old, so I considered them my second family,’ the 5ft 10in beauty said. ‘I was very hurt about this.’

Miss Hamilton claims she was fired in April – before the digitally- altered images of her were released.

‘I saw my face in this extremely skinny girl – which is not me,’ she recalled.

‘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.’

In a statement last night Polo Ralph Lauren denied her claims, saying their relationship ended ‘as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract’.

Read more about this story here.

Hopefully, fashion compaines will learn something from Ralph Lauren’s current woes. There is nothing wrong with using models that are healthy and on the thin side. But distorting images into unhealthy proportions and motivating girls to starve themselves is not good ethics or good business, and consumers are getting fed up with it.

Anorexia is the new Black

Ralph Lauren ad

I’m not normally one to get upset over the fact that most fashion models are skinny. I myself have quite a thin genetic disposition. But this ad from Ralph Lauren crosses the line. While selling skinny is nothing new. This girl is positively anorexic. She looks unwell. The image is disturbing.

Emaciation is not sexy.

What are they thinking at Ralph Lauren? Young girls may view this ad as a clue as to what is desirable. If they try to emulate the model, they will undoubtedly be putting themselves at risk of eating disorders and other health hazards. But social concerns aside – it just doesn’t look good. So my question, once again, is: Why?