In an open letter and petition to the government, beauty brands and content creators are promising "not to retouch models in imagery shot by their team of creatives.
In a "Body Image Pledge" campaign lead by GP turned MP, Dr Luke Evans, it was highlighted that "In the UK there are an estimated 1.25 million people suffering with anorexia or bulimia, and over 1 million people using steroids or image enhancing drugs. It is no secret that social media puts pressure on people to have a certain - often unachievable - body shape and size."
A year ago, the then-Prime Minister stood at the dispatch box in the House of Commons in support of my Body Image Campaign and pledged that this campaign would look to be incorporated in the UK's Women’s Health Strategy. One year on, beauty brands, content creators and creatives are coming together to launch a petition that required all publishers and advertisers to indicate when an image has been digitally altered.
In Cult Beauty's new campaign #CantReTouchThis - The brand states "We believe no body needs to be 'tweaked' to be beautiful and want you to trust that our visuals represent real skin and bodies." Cult Beauty are proudly supporting Dr Luke Evans' Body Image Pledge, promising to never digitally alter a model's appearance across their platforms.
"For too long beauty has been synonymous with a narrow set of, let’s be honest, unattainable ideals. As a society, we’ve celebrated thinness, youth and flawlessness — elevating certain attributes while vilifying everything beyond the strict parameters of ‘perfect’. Spots, wrinkles, cellulite, body hair — these are just examples of normal things that have been airbrushed out of ads and model images for decades — meaning to be 'beautiful’ we have had to reject the reality of our bodies and adapt to a mould that wasn’t made for us."
This campaign stems from a sad reality of comparison culture, driven by an endless scrolling of social media providing aspirational, and often unachievable imagery. With the introduction of AI which can now be easily accessible, thousands of available filters across platforms such as Instagram and TikTok and hundreds of photo manipulation apps available to download on our phones, image enhancement has never been more popular.
In an exciting movement that looks to improve the wellbeing and mental health of those exposed to heavily manipulated imagery across multiple platforms, you can find out more and sign the petition here to get involved.
Read more:
- Why Inclusivity is Important in Fashion Photography
- The Power of Inclusive Beauty Standards
- 5 Ways to Incorporate Underrepresented Groups in your Fashion Photography
- How to Avoid Tokenism in Your Fashion and Beauty Photography
- Breaking Barriers: The Journey of a Disabled Creative in the Modelling Industry
About this blog
I'm Hannah Lunn, a Yorkshire fashion and beauty photographer. I'm passionate about promoting inclusivity and diversity and mental health in the fashion industry by amplifying the voices of underrepresented individuals and making inclusivity fashionable. Contact me now to discuss your next project and let's make it a success.
