You probably remember the controversial editorial starring Thylane Lena-Rose Blondeau in Paris Vogue's December 2010 issue. The spread featured the 10-year-old model styled in top designer labels and heavy makeup, and captured in a series of provocative poses. Apart from her child-sized proportions, the model appeared to be indistinguishable from the post-pubescents typically cast in the pages of fashion magazines.
The editorial prompted an international scandal: we'd all gotten used to the objectification of 16-year-olds for the sake of fashion, but seeing a 10-year-old subject to the exact same techniques came as a shock. It was a reminder of fashion's totally insane and morally depraved dark side.
It was widely assumed that the controversial fashion spread was one of the key factors which prompted then-editor Carine Roitfeld's departure from Paris Vogue, but the blowback's still coming.
In response to Blondeau's appearance in the fashion glossy, a new French government report, Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight For Equality, by senator and former sports minister Chantal Joanno, calls for a series of legislation to eliminate the sexualization of children. The report calls for a ban on A) the production of adult clothing in child sizes, B) beauty pageants for the under-16 set, C) casting under-16 models in ad campaigns. The report also proposes to mandate school uniforms.
Image via CourtneyLuv
[via The Guardian]
