Considering that the average consumer is bombarded with anywhere from 500 to 2,000 commercials a day, it’s a given that organisations are put in place to help regulate things a bit. And while sex sells, these salacious campaigns had to pay the price. Here are our favourite history-making fashion advertisements that were deemed unfit for the public eye.
Photo by Bruce Weber
Miu Miu, 2011
When a 14 year old Hailee Steinfeld was photographed sitting on railroad tracks, the public outcry was not due to lack of clothing or over-sexualization of a minor. While we don’t really see a problem with this particular campaign, governing bodies viewed it as irresponsible because of the dangerous setting.
Photograph by Terry Richardson
Tom Ford for Men, 2007
A winning combination for controversy, Tom Ford and Terry Richardson collaborated to create this racy fragrance campaign in 2007. Aside from its explicit nature, critics condemned the images’ misogynistic tone due to the model’s faceless appearance.
Photograph by Juergen Teller
Oh, Lola! by Marc Jacobs, 2011
Allegations of pedophilic undertones were thrown at Marc Jacobs when he cast Dakota Fanning as the face of his Oh, Lola! fragrance campaign. The perfume’s close proximity to Lolita and the bottle’s placement caused a stir that, even years later, Fanning found irrelevant.
Photograph by Mario Testino
Gucci, 2003
Another gift from Tom Ford—while this advertisement probably wouldn’t receive a second glance in today’s consumer market, the racy depiction of exposed pubic hair forced Gucci to take down this campaign in 2003.
Photograph by Terry Richardson
Sisley, 2007
Where there’s Terry Richardson, there’s trouble. This time it is a campaign for Sisley that came under fire due to its overt glamorisation of drug use. Using “Fashioin Junkie” as a byline probably didn’t help their case much, either.
Photograph by Steven Meisel
Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, 2000
With over 900 complaints made at the time of its release, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority notes this photograph for YSL’s Opium starring Sophie Dahl as the eighth most complained about advertisement of all time.
Photograph by Steven Klein
Dolce & Gabbana, 2007
The fashion advertisement that people can’t stop talking about, this image shot by Steven Klein is constantly resurfacing as an example of bad behaviour. Criticism has most recently been doled by Kelly Cutrone, who tweeted “I GUESS SIMULATING GANG BANGS ARE FINE – BUT IVF AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE ARE NOT – LIFE ACCORDING TO @dolcegabbana.”
Photograph by Terry Richardson
Sisley, 2001
Provocateur extraordinaire, Terry makes his third appearance on our list and surprise–it’s with Sisley yet again. Here, American model Josie Maran poses with a cow for a campaign entitled “Farming”.
American Apparel, 2013
A round-up of controversial fashion advertising would not be complete without the mention of poster-child American Apparel. While many of their more problematic campaigns (um, Dov Charney can you not?) were never actually banned, these two were branded unsuitable by the ASA.