Photoshop and fashion editorials go together like Cheez-Its and stress eating, but France is taking a legal stand against the practice -and the unrealistic body expectations it promotes – by implementing a law “requiring that all manipulated images of models be labeled as such.”
As reported by Fashionista, the law, which went into effect on Sunday, says that “any images that feature models whose bodies have been digitally altered to look slimmer or thicker must now be labeled with the words “photographie retouchée,” or “retouched photograph,” and failure to comply could result in “fines that amount to more than $44,000.”
Drafted in response to “the unhealthy body standards that the fashion and advertising may indirectly promote” (“indirectly” seems like a generous read of the situation, but sure), the law will also require models working in France to be over the age of 16 and have a healthy body mass index (BMI).
The move represents a radical shift in the way France is viewing how the fashion industry impacts its citizens’ self perceptions — according to the story, France has the lowest BMI in Europe — and, hopefully, will lead to a smaller volume of retouching industry-wide (already, Getty Images announced that they’ll no longer be accepting images featuring models “whose body shapes have been retouched to make them look thinner or larger”).
“Our perceptions of what is possible are often shaped by what we see,” Getty representative Anne Flanagan said. “Positive imagery can have direct impact on fighting stereotypes, creating tolerance, and empowering communities to feel represented in society.”
All good things.
You can read more about it at Fashionista.
