Get Your Photoshop Off My Body!
NOW-NYC Protests Unrealistic Beauty Standards &
Calls on Industry to Create Real Standards for Women

DATE & TIME:  Sunday, December 20th from 1 pm - 2pm
LOCATION:  72nd & Madison Avenue at Ralph Lauren Flagship Store

PRESS ADVISORY Contact Sonia Ossorio 212.627.9895   

New York, NY - The National Organization for Women in New York City is calling for Ralph Lauren to immediately end its mass marketing of waif-like and sickly models in its advertising.

"If models can't catch a break, how can the rest of us hope to have a healthy self-image?" NOW-NYC President Sonia Ossorio said. "Starting at younger and younger ages eating disorders, low self-esteem, and a preoccupation with appearance plague women and girls. Ralph Lauren and the advertising industry are complicit in making real women feel less sexy and less beautiful than they really are."

Ralph Lauren set off a stream of outrage in October, when it depicted model Filippa Hamilton in a clearly manipulated ad photo in which her head appeared wider than her waist.  Hamilton's contract was terminated in April, and she claims that Lauren fired her because at 120 pounds and 5 foot, 10 inches, she was "overweight".   Ralph Lauren said Hamilton's photo was mistakenly released, however, the designer continues to churn out ads depicting harmful images of distorted and emaciated women.

Negative images have a real and sometimes devastating impact on females. For example, more than 80% of fourth grade girls have tried dieting.  As many as 10 million women and girls suffer from an eating disorder in the United States, and it's clear that the constant stream of unrealistic images plays a big role.

In his recent documentary, America the Beautiful, filmmaker Darryl Roberts addresses the dangerous standards of beauty that pervade the modeling industry and their negative impact on everyday women. Roberts has been leading a campaign against Ralph Lauren and will speak at the protest.

"Millions of young women feel unattractive and have a poor body image partly because of fashion ads and other media messages. I interviewed a few of them in my film and I can't sit back and watch the self-esteem of young girls erode. It's not right," said filmmaker Darryl Roberts. "If Ralph Lauren is truly sorry for his past blunder, then we're asking him to step up and truly commit to making a change."

NOW-NYC has a long history of combating violent, sexist, or unrealistic images of women in the media and advertising.  The organization sponsors a body-positive and self-esteem building annual Love Your Body Day event to counterbalance the barrage of negative images that permeate everyday culture. NOW-NYC also led successful campaigns against Calvin Klein, Dolce and Gabbana, America's Next Top Model, and New York Magazine.

"We demand that Ralph Lauren put an end to the depiction of women as grossly thin and under-nourished.  Ralph Lauren has an opportunity to set a new industry standard," Ossorio said.  "They can choose to promote images that depict women that are sexy and beautiful but also healthy with realistic body proportions."

The National Organization for Women is the nation’s largest organization working to advance women’s rights and improve women’s lives. The New York City Chapter of NOW, founded in 1966, is one of the largest chapters in the country with over 5,000 members locally and 35,000 statewide.  NOW-NYC works to protect women’s reproductive choices, end violence against women and eliminate sex discrimination in our schools, workplaces, and the justice system in New York.                                                                                                       ###