H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson “Models Too Skinny”
In the wake of body image bashing from Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M is taking a stand in the fight against discrimination. CEO of the top clothing company, Karl-Johan Persson, is speaking out.
H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson strives for diversity in his models. He wants girls with healthy bodies and confidence in H&M clothing and advertisements.
“Some of our models have been too skinny,” he said. “That’s not OK.”
While some women can’t help their waifish frames, many models are underfed and appear gaunt on the runways. H&M wants to “show diversity in out advertising, and not give people the impression that girls should look a certain way,” Persson said.
Jennie Runk & Beyoncé Flaunt H&M Swimsuits
Enter the most controversial swimsuit model of the season, Jennie Runk, a size 12 model. They hired her to show diversity in their ads and to promote a healthy body image. Runk said that she accepts her body for the way it is and loves being a plus size model. She doesn’t want to starve herself, she just wants to promote a healthy image. She told Good Morning America that she hopes there will someday be models of every size, shape, color and body type strutting down the runway.
H&M wants to portray healthy and confident models in their clothing. They recently released a swimsuit and summer wear campaign with Beyoncé. Karl-John Persson said that the customers care about these issues and that puts pressure on the companies to fill the demands.
H&M carries a wide array of sizes and style for every body type in their store. Every store also has men’s, women’s, and plus size sections. If you go to Forever 21, American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch or Aeropostale, they either don’t carry the larger sizes or only put them in certain stores and online. No doubt, H&M will capitalize on this marketing and draw in conscious consumers.
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