Miu Miu Cleared of Using ‘Too Skinny’ Model in Ad Campaign
The Spring 2011 Miu Miu ad in question
Miu Miu's Spring/Summer 2011 campaign has finally gotten the all-clear ... sort of.
After receiving two complaints that the campaign model, 23-year-old Polish beauty Kasia Struss, was too skinny, Britain's Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that the Italian fashion house is not at fault, the Telegraph reports.
However, the ASA's defense of the ad—shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott—may stir up a little controversy of its own.
"The ASA noted that the model in the ad was slim and that the lighting effects, makeup, and low-cut dress emphasized her body shape," the ruling states. "However, we considered that the ad was typical of those used for fashion products and that the model did not look significantly underweight. We therefore concluded that the ad was not irresponsible."
In other words, everybody's doing it!
Calling the 5-foot-10 Struss "naturally tall and slim," a spokesperson for Prada (which owns Miu Miu) told the paper the label was "always concerned for the welfare and health of their models and always endeavored to employ healthy models."
"Ms. Struss's hair was slicked back and she was wearing nude makeup with bright red lips ... the lighting used for the photograph bounced straight off Ms. Struss's body so as to highlight her features and pale skin," the spokesperson explained, saying that the split image "showed that she was not significantly underweight" and that "the campaign was dramatic and high fashion and featured statuesque models."
Which begs the question: Where does one draw the line between "underweight" and "significantly underweight"?
Meanwhile, the ASA took a tougher line with YSL, banning its Belle d'Opium ad for simulating drug use.
