Real and relatable. That is how consumers describe the new H&M swimsuit photos showcasing models free of digital enhancements.
At this time, it is worth underlining that the fashion industry is slowly and carefully pushing the boundaries to slam societal beauty standards. Body positivity, as well as inclusivity, has been given utmost attention to nowadays, and thankfully, brands have been making efforts to champion this.
Such was the case for fashion giant H&M that recently dared to showcase what is needed to be seen and accepted, that real people need not be Photoshopped to fit in the ever-debatable concept of beauty. The pictures with models embracing their hairs, stretch marks, and other battle scars while sporting the swimwear of the company gained positive remarks from shoppers, lauding it for supporting body positivity.
Gone are the times when models need to be "retouched," as H&M follows suit to other companies such as ASOS, Boohoo, and Missguided, which had first used un-photoshopped photos of models for their campaigns and promotions.
After Monki's Move
The latest photos since went viral after people praised H&M for championing body positivity. The step came just months after Monki, a subordinate clothing line of H&M, had done a campaign that did not cater to the male gaze through a swimwear campaign.
Monki likewise earned applause from people, so H&M copying the good deed is laudable as well. It takes a jab at the pressing concerns of models and celebrities today, and some of them remain vocal about their objections to the alteration of their bodies.
That said, it is understandable why people find the photos beautiful, basically because these showed realistic, gorgeous women. Also, what is observable was how genuinely happy the models looked in the images, something that is not always the case for swimwear pictures.
Social Media Reactions
Social media was ablaze with all sorts of raves from those who really dig the photos, while there are also those who praised H&M for the big change it had done.
"I love these photos, stretch marks, scars & hair on their arms shows that these women have lived a life as normal people & they still look stunning," @Lulam70 said.
@snyx, meanwhile, highlighted how H&M had evolved so much from using "virtual bodies to real bodies without airbrushing."
This particular social media user is pointing out the 2011 lackluster campaign of the company wherein it used virtual or computer-generated models to showcase clothes. It faced a huge backlash, but officials disclaim the move by saying the step was to make the audience notice the clothes more than the models themselves.