Hot on the heels of Zara's disastrous "curvy" denim ads that failed to include a single curvy model, Simply Be's new "We Are Curves" campaign is under fire for not featuring any models above a US size 12.
The campaign has drawn criticism and disappointment online from a demographic that is typically underrepresented or flat-out ignored.
Have @SimplyBeUK made some kind of mistake? 'We are curves' although non of the models in the advert are big, just normal sized women?
— Bethhh (@bethanyycribbs) March 18, 2017
Clothes fit on fat bodies, not just on one hourglass kind of body!
— The Killerqueen (@fresheima) March 12, 2017
@NerdAboutTown exactly how I felt when I saw this I was like yeah curves but wheres the representation of the people that buy your clothes
— Christie Cook (@Christie_E_Cook) March 11, 2017
Mm. pic.twitter.com/xSX2DeZ4V7
— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) March 11, 2017
This latest campaign 'We Are Curves' or whatever is the epitome of taking 'body positivity' as a strap line but not really understanding it
— Nomi (@Naomi_Griffiths) March 19, 2017
Coincidentally, one of the stars of the campaign, model Iskra Lawrence, spoke withRefinery29 last year about how "plus-size" has lost all meaning, and that instead of making women feel included, the term's loose definition and its application to increasingly smaller models is alienating.
"I'm a U.K. 14 [U.S. size 10 or 12] and I get people commenting on my pictures saying, 'If she's plus-size, what am I?' It could be kept as an industry term — but it's not," Lawrence said. "So you're basically labeling half the population 'plus size,' because the fashion industry has labeled me... people don't want to be labeled."
She continued:
"Firstly, because why should 50% of women be labeled when the other 50% aren't? And secondly 'plus size' has negative connotations. If you're a U.K. 16 and over, you can't generally shop at the same stores. And you definitely can't shop the same collections. You have to shop in a basement or online. You are not treated equally; you're excluded from fashion. If we could stop labeling all women and treat them equally, I think it would just be a huge step forward. That's what I'm trying to campaign for. It's not just size; it's exclusiveness. And just treating everyone fairly and giving them all the same opportunity to be a part of fashion."
The overwhelmingly negative reactions to these campaigns consistently demonstrate a profound desire for change. Unfortunately, the commercial treatment of women's bodies has yet to catch up with the shift in public opinion.
[h/t Teen Vogue]
Image via Twitter