Calvin Model Defends Up-Skirt Shot

The actress and model featured in a controversial new Calvin Klein campaign advertisement has defended the picture. Danish actress Klara Kristin shared the picture on Instagram along with her take on the furore, which centres around the fact that the picture is taken looking upwards to her underwear.

"I love this photo @harleyweir took of me," Kristin said alongside the picture on Instagram. "All this discussion about it makes me think about how alienated and scared some people are to the female human body. Be and love yourself and your sexuality #girlpower."

Commenters on photographer Harley Weir's Instagram page have criticised the shot for its glorification of "rape culture", insisting that it normalises sexual harassment and adding sentiments including: "Disappointing objectification of the female body once again", while others defended the shot as "iconic" and "beautiful".

It's by no means the first time that Calvin Klein has courted controversy with an ad. The brand's pictures of a then-15-year-old Brook Shields asking: "You wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing" caused a media storm in 1981, and saw the brand accused of sexualising a child. Pictures of Kate Moss topless astride Mark Wahlberg drew similar criticism in 1992, despite the fact that she was 18, and later naked images of Eva Mendes and Jamie Dornan garnered worldwide attention.