Many clothing companies and designers have admitted to digitally altering models’ bodies in print and online advertisements to enhance the look of the clothing.
This week, H&M confessed that they take the editing process one step further: their models bodies are 100% computerized. The same computer-generated, “completely virtual” body is used in their online swimwear and lingerie advertisements with only the skin pigment being changed to match the real faces that are pasted on to the bodies to complete the look.
H&M Press Officer Hacan Andersson explained to the Swedish newspaper, The Local, that a photo of a mannequin wearing the clothing is taken and then a digital body is created based on that photograph. Andersson went on to defend the company’s choice to use computer generated bodies instead of real models, saying “It’s not about ideals or to show off a perfect body, we are doing this to show off the garments.” Other sources however, have a slightly different story. According to another Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet, H&M just isn’t pleased with the models they have been working with.
What do you think collegiettes™? Is H&M catering to their clothing or are they sending a negative message about the female body to shoppers worldwide?