Fashion

Is This Miu Miu Ad Inappropriate?

Banned! The Mia Goth Miu Miu ad has been banned in the UK after being criticized for irresponsible imaging and allegedly sexualizing a child. Some claim this photo of the bare-faced model wearing too-big clothing suggests she is under 16, the age of consent in the UK.

The image finds a very young-looking Mia Goth leaning back on a bed. She is fully clothed. The point of view is from someone peering through an open door and yes, it does have a voyeuristic skew, but… is it sexualizing a minor?

Sorry, but I just don't see that.

The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK, which is the watchdog of advertising methods, campaigns, and messages, still banned the Miu Miu double truck. The thing is Goth was 21 when the controversial image was shot; she is 22 now and hardly a minor.

There is also criticism that she appears "vulnerable." Well, that's all a matter of perspective.

Let's break it down. The model, who is actually dating Shia LaBeouf, is not a child's age. That's a ridiculously basic fact. My first response to the photo? "Look at that amazing yellow handbag!"

I don't see a young girl in a predatory situation. I don't see any sexiness or "Come hither" vibes, either. It's actually pretty sterile. At least that's my read on it.

Dominique Charriau/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Plus, who, exactly, is the viewer looking through that open door? Maybe it's a friend? A sibling? There are plenty of perspectives and perceptions one can have based on that fact on alone.

According to The Guardian, The ASA was displeased by "...the crumpled sheets and her partially opened mouth also enhanced the impression that her pose was sexually suggestive. We considered that her youthful appearance, in conjunction with the setting and pose, could give the impression that the ad presented a child in a sexualized way. Therefore, we concluded that the ad was irresponsible and was likely to cause serious offence."

Dominique Charriau/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

So, the ad breached advertising code of ethics and was viewed as harmful and thus banned.

According to The Guardian, Prada, which owns the Miu Miu brand, claimed that the ads "showed glimpses of the models through doorways and placed the viewer at the heart of a multidimensional, multi-room story."

"The company said the model in the ad, Mia Goth, was 22 years old and rejected the accusation that she was shown in a sexually suggestive pose, or that there was a sexual tone to the ad," the publication wrote.

Other models and images were used in the campaign, in similar open-door fashion.

The ad, which also ran in Vogue's UK edition, noted that its readership is sophisticated, and therefore would not likely interpret the ad as sexualizing a minor. The Guardian also reported that the publication did not receive direct reader complaints.

I can only agree that Mia Goth looks so crazy young and un-made-up, which is a trend is advertising and mag covers lately.

This reminds me of when the Calvin Klein undies ads were so heavily criticized for stick-thin, young-looking models with pouty mouths seeming overly sexualized. I just don't think the math ads up here. I didn't get anything "sexy" from this image.

Images: Miu Miu (2); Getty (2)