Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company Skims is facing backlash over claims it used too much photoshop on supermodel Tyra Banks in a new campaign.
For its newest campaign, the shapewear line featured four of the most well-known models in the fashion industry, including Banks, Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Candice Swanepoel.
“Wearing our signature Fits Everybody collection, it doesn’t get more iconic than this,” the company wrote on Instagram, announcing the joint campaign.
According to Skims’ website, the collection consists of “best sellers for every body”.
Along with the supermodels, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star joined in and posed for a few photos. “OK so I wasn’t supposed to be in this @SKIMS campaign but I stopped by and jumped in because it was too iconic,” Kardashian wrote on Twitter.
However, after the reality star shared multiple photos from the photoshoot on social media, fans began accusing her company of heavily-editing Banks’ body.
“These pics are stunning but Tyra looked so gorgeous naturally and this editing is so bizarre and unnecessary?” one Twitter user wrote.
“Tyra seems to be a victim of extreme photoshop in this one - where did her body go?” another said, responding to an image where Banks is on her hands and knees with her torso hidden while posing next to the other models.
On the Instagram account Problematic Fame, which frequently posts about beauty standards in Hollywood, Skims was accused also of photoshopping, along with failing to represent “body positivity and inclusivity”.
“Appalled to see the amount of photoshop done to Tyra Banks’ body in Kim Kardashian’s new Skims and campaign,” the Instagram wrote in a since-expired story, along with a video of Banks taken at the photoshoot and the actual campaign photo itself.
“For a brand that prides themselves on body positivity and inclusivity, this is low,” the caption continued. “In what world does editing Tyra’s body into a clone of Kim’s endorse any sort of body positivity and inclusivity? Tyra’s body is perfect, this photoshop is horrendous and completely unnecessary, disappointing.”
In the following post, the account included a photo from the campaign of Kardashian and Banks posing next to each other.
“Their bodies are nowhere near this identical in real life…This is insane to me,” the caption reads.
Regardless of the criticism, Banks has opened up about the new campaign, with the supermodel revealing that she had a discussion with Kardashian about Skims before signing on.
“Kim reached out to me, and we had a beautiful heart-to-heart conversation about the campaign,” the America’s Next Top Model creator said in a recent interview withVogue. “I’ve respected her business savvy for quite a while; after that call, my respect grew to an even greater level. Kim dropped words of wisdom from her mom that echoed sage advice my mom has shared with me over the years. I hadn’t modelled lingerie and undergarments in so long, but I said yes after speaking with Kim and hearing her thoughtful, loving, and instinctive words!”
Prior to modelling for Kardashian’s company, Banks said she was already fond of it. “I’m a fan of anything that helps women feel fierce and fabulous,” she explained. “I’ve used shapewear in many moments throughout my career, other times opting to go au naturel, but ultimately I believe the empowerment is in having the option. I admire Kim for bringing fashion to shapewear and making it so sexy and bada**.”
The Independent has reached out to Skims for comment.
