Keep It Real Challenge speaks out against fashion Photoshopping

Earlier this year, Canadian model Coco Rocha wrote about the use of Photoshop in fashion editorials on her personal blog. Rocha, who wore a bodysuit under a sheer dress for a photo shoot, discovered that the bodysuit was cropped out of the photo for the final shot on the cover of Elle Brazil’s May issue. Considering Rocha has a no nudity or partial nudity clause in her modelling contract, she was disappointed with Elle Brazil’s decision to show so much of her skin.

Then, in April, 14-year-old student Julia Bluhm collected more than 80,000 signatures for a petition demanding that Seventeen Magazine, one of the most widely read teen magazines in North America, to show at least one non-Photoshopped model per issue. However, while Seventeen Magazine editor Ann Shoket agreed to meet with Bluhm to discuss the issue, Shoket denied the grade-eight student’s request.

Starting Wednesday (June 27), four organizations—SPARK Movement, MissRepresentation, Lovesocial, and I Am That Girl—will be hosting a three-day online campaign called the Keep It Real Challenge, urging fashion magazines to use at least one non-retouched photo of female models per issue. The campaign invites people to voice their concerns over social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and blogs.

On Wednesday, Twitter users are asked to tweet directly at fashion magazines using the hashtag #KeepIt Real. On Thursday, people following the campaign are asked to write a blog post on how unrealistic Photoshopping in fashion magazines has affected them. On the final day of the campaign, Instagram users are invited to post photos of “real beauty” using the hashtag #KeepItRealChallenge. Selected photos will be featured on a New York City billboard later this year.

More information on the Keep It Real Challenge can be found on the MissRepresentationCampaign and SPARKsummit Facebook pages.

You can follow Michelle da Silva on Twitter at twitter.com/michdas.