H&M under fire for using real models' heads with computer-generated bodies to sell swimwear

By TAMARA ABRAHAM



Under fire: H&M has admitted to using real models' heads with computer-generated bodies to sell lingerie



With tiny waists, perfect bums and endless legs, many would agree that models' bodies often look too flawless to be real. But in the case of H&M, it seems they actually are.

The Swedish retailer was forced to admit today that it used models' heads with computer-generated bodies.

The fashion chain, which has been slammed by Scandinavian advertising watchdogs, created the images to showcase swimwear and lingerie on its e-commerce site.



Users of the website will have noticed that, unlike H&M's high-profile campaigns, every single swimwear model has the same pose and proportions.

The only thing that differs, apart from the swimwear, is the skin tone, digitally altered to match each model's face.

A spokesman for H&M explained that its intention was to draw attention to the garments, instead of the models' bodies.

A spokesman told Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet: 'It's not a real body, it is completely virtual and made [by] ​​the computer.



Virtual reality: On the H&M site, every single model's pose and proportions are the same. The only thing that differs, apart from the swimwear, is the skin-tone, which has been altered to match each girl's face



'We take pictures of the clothes on a doll that stands in the shop, and then create the human appearance with a program on [a] computer.'

Such justification has not washed with Scandinavian advertising watchdogs, though.

The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation slammed the company for creating unrealistic physical ideals.



Unrealistic: Watchdogs say the chain is creating unrealistic physical ideals with computer-generated bodies



According to Jezebel, which translated the Aftonbladet article, the publication accused H&M of creating the computer-generated images because it is not satisfied with the quality of models it is seeing.

The retailer's spokesman did not make any such suggestion, however, stating only that 'we do this to show off the clothes.'



source: dailymail