Calvin Klein ad featuring FKA Twigs is banned for objectifying women after she approved the images

The stunning black and white image captured by fashion photographers Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott was shared on the Calvin Klein Instagram account with the caption “Calvin's or nothing”.

The picture reportedly received TWO complaints that it was seen to be objectifying women. According to BBC News the ASA ruled that the “image's composition placed viewers' focus on the model's body rather than on the clothing being advertised.” In response to the advert being banned Calvin Klein explained that FKA Twigs had approved the images before they were published. 

So why on earth has the advertisement now been banned if the person standing naked was happy with the pics but two people decided she was being overly sexualised and should be removed? Surely the only person to decide whether or not the images were objectifying her in any way shape or form is FKA Twigs herself. 

I’m sure as a 36-year old strong, confident woman who has spoken out about her experience with sexual assault in the past would without any hesitation speak up if she felt uncomfortable with any images of her being naked.

Who gets to decide whether or not a nude image has been done tastefully or it’s just an excuse to get someone to be naked? For centuries artists have painted naked women with their breasts on show -but is that ok because it's seen as art? 

Front covers of magazines have also shown women naked. Demi Moore famously posed for Vanity Fair when she was pregnant in 1991 and Janet Jackson posed with a man covering her breasts for the Rolling Stones cover in 1993. Not forgetting Kim Kardashian for W magazine plus Keira Knightly and Scarlett Johansson posed completely naked for Vanity Fair. 

Last week I wrote an article about Jeremy Allen White being the new Calvin Klein underwear model along with previous models for the brand. Looking at all the models half naked and just in their underwear may seem like they were objectifying men but it was an underwear campaign. How else are they supposed to advertise underwear if they don’t show you what it looks like on a man or woman? 

The point is all of these images were approved by the person who was modelling or posing naked. If they didn’t feel objectified but actually sexy or empowered then why are we listening to people who don’t like naked pictures? Is it not ok to look sexy anymore without someone presuming you were taken advantage of or were being objectified.