Issue No.1
Vigor
Vigor Vigor magazine focuses on key issues related to the fashion industry. In this issue the magazine focuses on brands that use children to model in their campaigns. There is a comparison from brands that use children and enhance their natural beauty, to brands that appear to sexualise the young models. Vigor have taken this matter on hand and done some research into the subject, throughout this issue there is a photo-shoot with a young model who we feel is a natural beauty. The images emphasise our view that using children to model can be so effective, even if the images are aimed for an older target market. There is a more detailed article about the topic which includes an interview with a current blogger, we hear her thoughts and opinions on the matter. This issue has been created with the reader in mind, We want to inform readers on issues that arise in the fashion industry.
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Being a child is so much fun. 3.
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Fashion Before Their Time A younger generation of models have formed in the fashion industry. Brands have taken it upon themselves to make children appear twice their age. Does the fashion industry need to strip away the innocence of a child through sexualisation?
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Children are featured in the ever evolving fashion world to model children’s clothing. Currently brands use the youth to advertise even if it is aimed at adults. Burberry used twelve year old Romeo Beckham to model in their latest campaign ‘ From London with love’, Kaia Gerber (Cindy Crawford’s daughter) was the face of Versace at the age of 10. There is a fine line to using younger children in adverts to promote an adult collection. Some brands cross this line by sexualising young children and it becomes disputable. Recently campaigns from certain brands have been banned. For example Prada used a fourteen-year-old girl and sat her on train tracks. The young girl was also crying, what message was Prada trying to send out? Wether it is aimed at adults or not this message just appears suicidal! Vogue Paris had controversial images of Thylane Blondeau posing as an adult in a sexualised manner. I conducted a survey about children modelling in the fashion industry. An image was attached of Thylane from Vogue Paris, which caused shock in my feedback. The fashion industry loves celebrity’s and their style, but they have also taken a liking to their young stylish children. During New York Fashion Week journalists, bloggers and photographers couldn’t get enough of Harper Beckham, Alexander Wang’s Niece ‘Alia Wang’, Rachael Zoe’s Son ‘Skyler’ and Hudson Kroenig (Karl Lagerfeld’s Godson). A classic style must run through the family.
“As a mum i wouldn’t allow my child to be sexualised at such a young age” 6.
Nicola Hinchliffe a ‘mummy blogger’ has done many reviews and has a successful blog called ‘Monsters Fun House’. Nicola and her fouryear-old son Charlie have done many reviews, Charlie has also been to many photo shoots to model clothing for brands such as Next, Green Baby and Prima Baby. “I love Next’s Photo Shoots, Charlie was modelling clothes for the Next Blog. The photographers and Next staff know exactly what they wanted and how to achieve it,” she says. “Green and Prima Baby started directing and dictating to Charlie. I mean he was only young and didn’t understand what they were telling him. I just felt they had no concept of children or what to do with them.” Nicola adds: “I completed your survey and I could not believe the image you attached of the young girl modelling in Vogue Paris. My immediate thought was why would her parents allow them images to be taken, Were they even at the photo shoot? I have seen images of young children online wearing t-shirts with inappropriate language, If a brand asked me can Charlie wear a t-shirt saying something like ‘Fuck You’, I would just walk straight out. As a mum I just wouldn’t allow my child to be sexualised at such a young age!. Its Fashion Versus Morality, a child doesn’t know what sexy is but a parent does!” Children that model in the fashion industry do have the ‘cute’ factor on their side. Brands always needs to try and stand out. They will go to certain extents to accomplish something edgy and controversial. That is just part of the fashion industry but brands don’t need to turn young innocent children into something they are not and should not be. Using children is a delicate task and brands such as Burberry, Versace and Ralph Lauren can produce strong campaigns without sexualising children. Maybe other brands need to start thinking, would they like their children to be sexualised just to sell products? 7.
The Fashion Industry shouldn’t strip away a childs innocence. 9.
Model Maiyah Sefton.
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“It’s Fashion vs morality”
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Model Maiyah Sefton.
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Vigor