Ralph Lauren backtracks over skinny model

Ralph Lauren has apologised for featuring a photoshopped model in an ad campaign.

Ralph Lauren has been forced to back down in a public row over the use of an apparently super-skinny model to promote its Blue Label collection.

The image in question features 23-year-old Swedish-French model Filippa Hamilton, who was photoshopped to such an extent that blogger Xeni Jardin observed on his blog, Boing Boing, "Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis." Untouched photos of Hamilton prove that she looks a perfectly healthy size.

Ralph Lauren initially went on the defensive and threatened Boing Boing with legal action. As the story threatened to snowball into a media sensation, however, the company issued a statement conceding that it had instead "addressed the problem".

"For over 42 years, we have built a brand based on quality and integrity," it read. "After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body. We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the calibre of our artwork represents our brand appropriately."

The incident flies in the face of high profile developments in the "size zero" debate. In June, British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman personally wrote to many of the world's top designers, asking them to rethink their use of super-skinny girls, and Mark Fast garnered public support during London Fashion Week last month when it emerged that two members of his team had quit over his decision to feature size 12 and 14 models in his spring/summer 2010 show.

Photo: Model Filippa Hamilton at the Dylan's Candy Bar Relaunch party in New York, October 2008.

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