FKA Twigs hits back at ‘double standards’ after CK ad is banned

FKA TWIGS has spoken out about “double standards” after her Calvin Klein advertisement was banned following complaints it objectified women, saying she is a “beautiful woman of colour”.

The poster featured the 36-year-old British singer-songwriter wearing a denim shirt that was drawn halfway around her body, leaving the side of her buttocks and half of one breast exposed, with text reading: “Calvins or nothing.”

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received two complaints that the images used were “overly sexualised”, offensive and irresponsible because they objectified women and were inappropriately displayed. However, the artist, real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett, challenged the complaints in an Instagram post yesterday and thanked the brand for giving her “space to express myself exactly how I wanted to”.

Alongside an image of the poster, she wrote: “I do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labelled me. I see a beautiful strong woman of colour whose incredible body has overcome more pain than you can imagine. In light of reviewing other campaigns past and current of this nature, I can’t help but feel there are some double standards here.”

The ASA said: “The ad used nudity and centred on FKA Twigs’ physical features rather than the clothing, to the extent that it presented her as a stereotypical sexual object.”

In contrast, two other images from the campaign featuring the model and influencer Kendall Jenner were deemed inoffensive by the ASA.

Calvin Klein had previously defended the FKA Twigs advertisement.