at 22:23 on October 14, 2009, EDT.
By Verena Dobnik, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK - A former Ralph Lauren model whose image in a roundly criticized advertisement was digitally slenderized said Wednesday that the apparel maker did not renew her contract because she was "too large."

Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. is contending that it dismissed Filippa Hamilton because of a contract dispute and that the photo was mistakenly released.

"They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore," 23-year-old Filippa Hamilton, who worked for the company since she was 15, told the Daily News. She said she considered Polo Ralph Lauren her second family.

The company acknowledged in a statement that the image of Hamilton that appeared last week in a Tokyo mall had been digitally altered.

She went public after the photo surfaced.

Hamilton, a New York resident who is half-Swedish and was raised in France, has been looking for another job since she was let go in April, said Jesse Derris, her spokesman at Sunshine Sachs & Associates. She has not decided whether to sue, Derris said. The photo's emaciated depiction of her, with hips about as narrow as her head, could make young women "think that it's normal to look like that - and it's not," the 5-foot-10, 120-pound model told NBC's "Today" show.

"I saw my face on this super-extremely skinny girl, which is not me; it's not healthy, it's not right," she said.

Polo Ralph Lauren claimed she "was too large," she added, saying that she's a size 4 and that her weight has remained constant during eight years as a model for the iconic American brand, which has dressed U.S. Olympic teams.

In recent years, designers have typically sought models that fit into clothes that are a size 4, or even 2 or 0.

In a statement, the company said the "very distorted image of a woman's body" - Hamilton's - was "mistakenly released" and displayed in the Japanese department store.

Bloggers also posted the photo on several Web sites, fueling the controversy.

On Tuesday, Polo Ralph Lauren released a statement that read: "We take full responsibility. This error has absolutely no connection to our relationship with Filippa Hamilton," who is a "beautiful and healthy" woman.

That relationship ended last April "as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us," a contract whose terms are confidential, according to a Polo Ralph Lauren spokesman.

Derris said Hamilton was not available for an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday afternoon.

-

On the Net:

Altered ad: http://tinyurl.com/yeerhw7


©The Canadian Press, 2009

Here's the ad in question (the very skinny image on the left-hand side).





Although it's certain that the one on the right is altered too, it's probably very close to her actual size. This means she is a fat bitch naturally and Ralph Lauren just can't deal with that.

I thought the modelling world had changed its ways to portray healthier looking women???? Even accepting plus size models.

Not those on drugs to control their weight, induce bolemia anorexia.

Why would they even change the picture on the left 2 look like that? It doesn't even look good.

Zero surprize

A size 4 is too large?!?!?!
WTF???

Mach said:

too right. did she expect political correctness and sensitivity?

luv4u said:

If those are actually her stats she's underweight - to the point doctors may be concerned for her health.

This is how a lot of models careers end.

Doesn't anyone know any models this has happened to?
[Edited 10/15/09 6:17am]

Imago said:[quote]Here's the ad in question (the very skinny image on the left-hand side).




^^ the image on the left doesn't even look anatomically (sp) correct.

her head looks just as wide as her hips. WTH?

CarrieMpls said:

In fact, it would mean she has a BMI of 17.2 which means she would be considered for anorexia (BMI lower than 17.5) and she would be below the BMI requirement instated by Madrid fashion week of at least 18.

There's something definitely wrong in the industry when 5'-10" 120lbs. is considered "fat".

My wife has hips, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

That altered image gives me the creeps.

paintedlady said:[quote]

Imago said:

she looks perfect in her regular pic, there was no need to slim her down.

PurpleJedi said:

Don't buy any Ralph Lauren products - send them a message.

uPtoWnNY said:

I forgot people still wear Ralp Lauren other than Polo shirts

Looks just like Barbie.

shucks, they are making their clothes these days to only fit the skinny anyway.

noimageatall said:

Nah...more like those Bratz dolls;

The modeling industry is fucked up.

When a size 6 is considered plus size, there's a huge problem.

Who, really, does this jacked up demand for anorexic models benefit? Not the public, who are one part disgusted by the Skeletor-looking girls in ads and one part shamed because they've been led to believe anything healthierbigger is ugly. Not designers, who often have to re-tool their designs in between runways and when clothes hit the stores to accomodate buyers. Certainly not the models, many of whom develop eating disorders and drug habits to maintain their size.

Aw hell naw.

That's ridiculous but unfortunately that particular industry is very superificial. During my modelling years I weighed 42kg (92 pounds) so I was very much underweight and undernourished. A lot of girls weighed less and at greater heights so as bad as that sounds it comes with the territory.

All I have to say is:

PanthaGirl said:

Can you explain how you got so thin. And how they got so thin?

Methods and such. I'm fascinated by this. Jockey's who race horses are undernourished as well, but for other reasons.


This is one of those times where such self abuse isn't due to trying to look more desirable I think--but trying to 'get the job'. Or maybe sometimes it's both?

Imago said:

I starved myself when I modeled. I simply stopped eating. 1/4 of a bagel a day, and lots and lots of coke (cola) to prevent me from passing out.

It's actually really easy to do...for a while that is.

JustErin said:

Was it strictly to 'get the job', or was there more involved?

I know that when I first started working as an application engineer, I felt completely inadequate compared to the 'smarter guys', and worked 15-16 hour days to obtain as much knowledge as I could. I already 'had the job', but felt insecure and wanted to be like the 'other guys.'

Was your position like that or was it all about the business?


I honestly don't think the modeling world will ever change. It seems to go through phases where they emphasize health, but the still photoshop 15 pounds off ever girl on the magazines. Hell, they made fucking Faith Hill skinnier!

I know some women who would actually starve themselves if they got to a size 10.....A SIZE 10???? To me a size 10 is a good size and its still small, but somehow, some people feel like double digit sizes are all plus sizes and thats simply just not true.

Imago said:

I was a basketcase at that point so it was a mix of everything.

And I don't actually remember a whole lot about that whole time period - starving yourself totally fucks up your mind as well.

Imago said:

A high metabolism, busy schedule and being naturally thinner. I didn't have a big appetite so ate very little and because my life was hectic I would skip meals and so my weight dropped from 55kg (120 pounds) to 42kgs (92 pounds).

Some of the girls I worked with in the past were on drugs (mostly cocaine and speed), U always know which ones are and aren't the signs are always there on their skin, eyes, speech etc and they tend to do it moreso out of competing against one another, habit and of course landing that 'job' through their agent.

I prefer my shape now, I have a lot more muscle, slender curves and I have changed my diet recently because I'm working on losing 7kg (15 pounds).