So ickle Thylane Loubry has more than caused a bit of a stir with her provocative spread in French Vogue over the interwebs. The deal is thus: kid is ten years old and portrayed in a sexualised way, sprawled on a tiger print chez lounge with 'come to bed eyes'. Here at TTR its not the first time we've raised a primped and plucked brows at kiddie exploitation in fashion which seems one baby-step away from cute playground couture into two-dollar-stripper territory. However until now it's been the nature of children's clothing lines and how the campaigns have been approached (not to mention the stiletto driven approach of the parents of said children) But this is different. Although Thylane has appeared on the cover of Vogue enfants, along with numerous campaigns for children's lines, this is French Vogue; AKA Vogue for grown ups. Is this not a little weird?

That Thylane is a true beauty-in-the-making is not in question. That the shots depict her poised in clear and defined adult roles is. Applying red lipstick, crossed legs in stilettos on a silk, decadent arm chair, eyes to camera/viewer; chic but undeniably 'sultry'. Were this shot with an adult model or celeb, the Daily Mail would be all over calling it 'risque' without even flinching. Looking at Thylane's folio, images of her thumb hooked into low rise jeans baring her hip, imitating the self-proclaimed sexualisation of Diesel's ad campaigns leaves more than a sour taste in our mouths. So topless with only her hair and well placed ethnic beads covering her chest and a direct-to-camera stare only makes us choke.

No doubt she'll have a long career, her modelling abilities aren't under scrutiny - girl can surely pose - but the choices of the photographers and parents certainly are. This is a shamelessly immoral not only depiction of a ten year old but appropriation and hijacking of their innocence as a means to shock and inflame. Aside from Vogue we'll finish this off by going back to the beads and bare chest. We believe that's called 'implied nudity' We're pretty sure this term belongs in the contract of a Kim Kardashian Playboy spread, not in that of a young child. Just sayin'.

Posted on August 08, 2011 at 4:53:18 by Alice Nyong