WWD is reporting that the British Fashion Council is working with London magazine editors to add labels to images, which have been airbrushed. I’m breathing the biggest sigh of relief right now. When I worked in magazines, male friends would swing by and I would show them airbrushed versus non-airbrushed photographs. They were shocked. I remember one mate saying, “God. She doesn’t look like herself.” Um… yeah… Check out Brittany Murphy above for an example.
Anyway, the British Fashion Council has said that fashion editorial plays a major role in perpetuating an “unachievable aesthetic.” Ya think? British Periodical Publishers Association is totally on board with the announcement that it will be holding a series of summits to discuss the possibility of placing curbs on digital photos.
You know what this means, right? Advertising is just a step away.
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April 4, 2008 at 1:16 am
Everything looks the same in the dark.
April 4, 2008 at 1:57 am
Why not post a disclaimer on every print ad or commercial that says “Color-corrected film of paid talent in professionally selected wardrobe speaking words written by a veteran copywriter working for a for-profit agency owned by a publicly-held holding company with a vested interest in client sales.” BECAUSE IT WOULD BE STUPID. Are lay people really THAT out of touch that they need some kind of disclaimer as a reality check that a tube of lipstick won’t make Olive Oyl look like Halle Berry?
April 4, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Auntie Christ,
Yeah, actually, a lot of 13 year old girls- even now, when everyone has a pirated copy of Photoshop, are THAT “out of touch” to not know that not everyone is that skinny or that blemish-free. I am all for it. I think it would have saved me a lot of anxiety in the 90’s had I realized how much of it really was fake. Plus think of all the money magazines will save not having to pay for or wait on retouching. I am wondering if this is coming from a bottom-line place, and not a concern about society place.
April 4, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Like scarface on the back of a denim jacket kind of airbrushed?
April 4, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Girl, “I am wondering if this is coming from a bottom-line place, and not a concern about society place.” Agencies beat down their vendors so much on price that it probably isn’t an issue. The talent and photography fees are the biggest part of that equation. And “social responsibility” and making money has never quite gelled, unless you are in the business of producing PSAs.
I think Brittany Murphy behind Door number 1 looks fine…I don’t look that good from a distance.
April 4, 2008 at 6:37 pm
If you want to see the REAL Brittany Murphy,
you should watch Clueless – haha
(that was before she did her 500 surgeries)
April 5, 2008 at 7:48 pm
I don’t think this is really about making the skin a different color of taking a couple pimples away, it’s about changing proportions. the transformation dialogue and not the healing brush is the issue. that being said … nothing will happen.