What fashion bosses could learn from the porn industry
Days after American Apparel has been asked to remove a series of 'overtly sexual' images from its website, Dr Brooke Magnanti makes some suggestions for fashion chiefs, based on the learnings of the porn industry.The ad watchdog has banned American Apparel advert for being 'overtly sexual'. Photo: AMERICAN APPAREL
The Advertising Standards Agency has stepped in regarding a number of images on the American Apparel website that it deemed to be “overtly sexual”. The brand's reputation for featuring young-looking models in provocative poses has existed almost as long as the company itself, but on this occasion, post two complaints, the ASA ruled that American Apparel should remove the photos from its website.
In many ways, this is simply a redux of similar complaints that have been doing the rounds. Everything from Brooke Shields back in the 70s (who confidently declared, age 14, that nothing get between her and her Calvin Klein jeans), to the 'heroin chic' wars of the 90s, to Marc Jacobs and the infamous ad campaign featuring a suggestively-posed Dakota Fanning selling a fragrance that makes wink-wink reference to the tragic schoolgirl nymphet Lolita.
For many, though, the problem with American Apparel is not only its obviously sexualised images of young women but also the string of harassment lawsuits the company's chief executive Dov Charney has attracted. While Charney has consistently maintained that he is innocent, telling news outlets that the allegations are "completely a fiction" and more recent reports dismiss the claims as 'bogus', people tend to assume that where there's smoke there's fire and the controversial ad campaigns hardly help his image - not mention his company's.
American Apparel aside, while I don't object to objectifying imagery in advertising per se, it would be easier to feel more comfortable with the whole thing if the advertising world in general signed up to themodelling standards most recently endorsed by British Vogue. The 10-point code of conduct includes such basic workers' rights as maximum 10-hour assignments, and food and drink being made available for models on sets. Of more interest, however, is that it also endorses not using under-16s to represent adults, and making certain models approve any request for nudity or semi-nudity before the shoot begins.
Last year supermodel Kate Moss finally broke her silence on what early success as a model had been like and shocked the world with her story.Topless shoots sent her crying in the loos and she suffered a nervous breakdown by the grand old age of 17. Because of her ultra-cool outer demeanour and international success, though, no one outside the industry ever guessed. This is not the sort of industry that is looking after its young charges.
As I have very often said, in many ways the fashion industry is more insidiously disrespectful of women than the porn industry is. In the imagery of fashion, we are sold a lifestyle that we are relentlessly told is aspirational and even achievable. The adult industry at least makes no bones about being total fantasyland.
However, more important than image is worker welfare. Since it's impossible to know from the final photo whether the people involved were happy to be participating or felt abused and pressured into doing it, this needs to be made explicit. Strict policies about age and consent have long been in place in mainstream porn (notably including the 2,257 requirements for any porn marketed in the USA), and an increasingly vocal fanbase is demanding higher standards of welfare for those involved, following the example of small producers like Pink & White and Kink. It's long since time these basic boxes have been ticked
