A controversial Calvin Klein advertisement has been banned in the United Kingdom. The ad, which features recording artist FKA Twigs, debuted last April and sees Twigs standing in the center of the photo nude, covered in loose-fitting clothing.
According to a report from Rolling Stone, the ad prompted several complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority. The ASA reportedly ruled that the ad can no longer be displayed in its originally printed form in public, arguing that it depicts Twigs as a “sexual object.”
“The ad used nudity and [centered] on FKA twigs’ physical features rather than the clothing, to the extent that it presented her as a stereotypical sexual object,” the ASA said in a statement. “We therefore concluded the ad was irresponsible and likely to cause serious [offense].”
At the time of writing, neither Twigs nor Calvin Klein have commented directly on the ban. Last year, upon the campaign’s launch, Twigs spoke to Rolling Stone expressing pride in her images.
“Doing [this campaign] means I can be who I am — A strong woman. That isn’t going to go in and out of fashion,” said Twigs at the time. “”When I’m in my 60s and have grandchildren, I can show them these pictures and say, ‘Your grandmother was strong.'”
