Ralph Lauren's Photoshop Retouch Disaster

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Ralph Lauren's Photoshop Retouch Disaster

Thursday, October 8, 2009

filed under: fashion & beauty

Reason number #3843 on the list of why our daughters struggle with body image.

At first, the Ralph Lauren photo advertising their Blue Label line of jeans appeared on a website called Photoshop Disasters. And rightfully so. The body of 23-year-old French-Swedish model Filippa Hamilton depicted in the photo doesn't occur in nature. The proportions are more similar to a freakish Barbie doll than a human. To get Hamilton's "uber-skeletal look," the image was probably modified using a Photoshop function called the "Liquify Tool," or more accurately, the "Anorexic Tool."

Then the blog Boing Boing took up the cause and posted a criticism of the image with the caption, "Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis!" It sure looks that way, especially when you take a gander of another shot of Hamilton in tank-top, suspenders, and normal-sized head.

The skinny on the situation is this: Ralph Lauren's lawyers demanded that Boing Boing take the image down. Boing Boing refused, citing that the post fell under the definition of fair use: "for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting."

Momlogic contacted Ralph Lauren's reps for comment. Here's what they had to say:

"For over 42 years, we have built a brand based on quality and integrity. 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."

Do you think Ralph Lauren is just sorry they got caught for publishing this photo manipulation mess, or was it just an honest mistake?

filed under: fashion & beauty

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She looks like a bobblehead her head looks way to big for her body.

- Anonymous

Posted 10/08/09 01:00 PM

Ralph Lauren’s clothes should be boycotted for that image hitting the public and blinding us all! Models are thin enough and they go and find this abomination!

- What the?

Posted 10/08/09 01:11 PM

An honest mistake that took hours of Photoshop work, and many eyes-of-approval on its way from the designer to the billboard?

- ak77

Posted 10/08/09 01:16 PM

The PR team at Ralph Lauren have already won. They knew before this image was released that it would generate controversy and…FREE PUBLICITY.

- Anonymous

Posted 10/09/09 12:05 AM

She’s ugly

- Anonymous

Posted 10/09/09 08:03 AM

This a great attractive photo. If people think that other photo’s in the industry aren’t photoshoped they really are fooling themselves. It’s Advertisement!

- Ron

Posted 10/18/09 07:31 AM

Ew, seriously, how can anyone actually think that is pretty? Then again, most people in the fashin business are gay guys, meaning they’ve got nothing to relate to with the female body, so they just twist it out of proportions ‘cause they won’t find it attractive themselves anyway.

- Nina

Posted 10/26/09 01:45 AM

Hahahaha, and she didn’t say anything about it to start with. Her is the deal on this, she is in the business of sex. Do I agree with it or like it, no not really but, then again I like a little meat on a women. NO skeletons for me but, don’t tell me she is ugly. She is a beautiful women who happened to have a photo altered. If we didn’t pay so much attention to advertising and took it for what it is, an attempt to take your money with out giving sufficient product to replace it, no one would care. Problem is no one values their time enough. Think if a shirt costs $20 bucks and you make 15 and hour its really worth 1.25 hrs of your life and that is sad. Their isn’t much if put in those terms worth it, maybe food and shelter but, I could find or make it on my own. Wake up people, who cares?

- Nope

Posted 12/04/09 09:24 PM