(Twitter)
An extremely thin mannequin used by a New York lingerie store, La Perla, sparked such controversy on social media that the Italian upscale retailer has agreed to remove it from the store and from the face of the Earth.
The outcry started after a Twitter user named Michael Rudoy posted a picture that he snapped with his phone while strolling in the trendy SoHo neighborhood, in Manhattan.
The case has once again put forward the debate on whether the mass media is contributing to worsen the eating disorder epidemic affecting millions of girls and women worldwide.
The Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness, for one, tweeted that the mannequin was “terrible!,” ABC News reports. A marketer for “Truth in Advertising Act” also responded to the tweet saying it was a “#horrible mannequin” and signed his tweet with a trending hashtag “#notbuyingit.”
The response has once again put forward the debate on whether retailers, advertisers and the media are contributing to the problem of eating, disorders which affect millions of girls and women worldwide.
After the social media storm, La Perla put out a statement saying the mannequins currently displayed in their U.S. stores will no longer be used.
“The mannequin photographed has been removed from the store and will not be used again by any La Perla boutique. We are in the process of redesigning all La Perla stores with a new concept image, and the mannequins that are currently displayed in our US stores will no longer be used,” it read.
“We appreciate and value everyone's comments. Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” the statement concluded.
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