A ban or a bunch of baloney?
Key picture editors at British magazines do not know about the currant talks on reducing the amount of retouching done.
Melissa Turner, Picture Editor at Marie Claire, “hasn’t heard anything” and although aware Jo Walker of LOOK magazine says that they have had no talks internally about retouching nor has the Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) approached them.
Kati Lopez, a freelance Art Director for magazines, is also not aware of the proposed discussions and she does not see how a banning the minimizing of digital manipulation could work. “Colour correction needs to be done and we make people look their best by removing shine or dark circles, we don’t do any slimming. “Campaigns require the most retouching as they are seen in several formats and they need to be perfect first time around”.
Kerry Neilson, Director of legal and public affairs at PPA, has previously said "as this is a complex issue and there is no pre-determined consensus across the industry, we are currently canvassing views. "We look forward to developing discussions with both the British Fashion Council (BFC) as well as editors within the magazine sector."
There now seems to be confusion about who, if anyone, is holding such discussions. Ms Neilson now says that ‘since it was the BFC in the Kingsmill report which called for restrictions on airbrushing’ they are dealing with such action and the PPA is ‘discussing the report but has no specific comment’ as yet. It has been four months since the talks were announced.
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Listen to what Jo Walker, Picture Editor of LOOK, has to say by clicking HERE
Also listen to Georgie Carter's experience with retouching and watch what teenage girls have to say.