FKA Twigs recently starred in a Calvin Klein campaign where she showed some skin, which apparently was too much for the UK, although she claims it’s all nonsense and openly unfair.
The singer is one of the new faces of the famous fashion brand, and one of the photos that was published as part of her campaign has been censored in the UK by a government agency known as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
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According to them, this specific FKA ad violates one of their provisions, as it could “present her as a stereotyped sexual object” by putting “the focus of viewers on the model’s body instead of the advertised clothing.”
They further argue that this image is likely to cause serious offense, so they have decided to entirely remove it from the public.
The photo in question shows Twigs’ naked buttocks, but covered with some kind of denim shirt over it and a bit of her chest, as well as some buttocks and thighs.
It’s not the most sexual photo in the world and yet seems to be too much for the Brits. FKA criticized the decision, stating that she sees herself as a strong woman of color in that photo. Additionally, she suggested that there is a double standard.
She might have a point. Other recent Calvin Klein ads featuring Kendall Jenner in somewhat topless shots have been running in the UK without issues.
Of course, there’s also Jeremy Allen White‘s campaign that launched last week, and we’re sure it’s getting a lot of attention across the pond. It’s not clear if FKA thinks this decision about her pertains to race, gender, or both, but in any case, she feels she’s being treated unfairly.
She wrote: “I’m proud of my physique and stand by the art I create with my vessel (…) like Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt, and Grace Jones, who broke barriers of what appears to be empowered and embodied a unique sensuality.”
Calvin Klein itself defended Twigs by saying, “The images were not vulgar and were of two self-assured and empowered women who had chosen to identify with the Calvin Klein brand, and the ads contained a progressive and enlightened message.”