Miu Miu advert banned for inappropriately sexualising model

An advert for fashion brand Miu Miu has been banned for inappropriately sexualising a model who appeared to be a child.

Prada, which owned the company, denied that the pictures were provocative, and said they featured 22-year-old model Mia Goth, who was photographed wearing a sophisticated outfit with no make-up.

Vogue UK, which published the advert, said its readers were able to distinguish top photography and great fashion models, and would not regard the advert as provocative.

They said they had received no direct complaints about the advert from readers.

However The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) did receive complaints and ruled that the model's youthful appearance and oversized clothes contributed to the impression that she was under 18.

The ASA said that the decision to photograph the model through an open door reclining on a bed gave the advert a "voyeuristic feel".

"We considered that the crumpled sheets and her partially opened mouth also enhanced the impression that her pose was sexually suggestive," the ASA said.

"We considered that her youthful appearance, in conjunction with the setting and pose, could give the impression that the ad presented a child in a sexualised way. Therefore, we concluded that the ad was irresponsible and was likely to cause serious offence."

In March, an online swimwear advert for US clothing company American Apparel was banned by the ASA for inappropriately sexualising a young model.