British model/actress, Elizabeth Hurley, has been known for her sexy style throughout the years. Now, she has become a celebrity fashion entrepreneur who has both adult and children’s swimwear lines. But recently, Hurley has been under fire for featuring kiddie models wearing skimpy bikinis which are not age-appropriate.
The photos of the young girls are featured in Hurley’s website. These are kids wearing leopard-print bikini and other designs deemed by child protection charity Kidscape “only suitable for adults.” Claude Knight, director of Kidscape stated:
“It is very disturbing to see some inappropriate items in this swimwear range. The pieces that are very adult and which contribute to the sexualisation of young girls – especially in the poses portrayed – do not take account of the child protection concerns that have been well-aired.”
Knight’s views are shared by Siobhan Freegard, founder of parental networking site, Netmums:
“I know a number of mothers who are concerned about the sexualisation of their children and would be horrified by their daughters dressing like mini-strippers. If designers like Miss Hurley don’t consider these important issues flagged up by the Bailey report into how to prevent the commercialization of children’s sexuality, then eventually the Government will need to bring in some kind of regulation.”
Another opinion came from Dr. Katherine Rake, chief executive of the Family and Parenting Institute charity:
“Parents have been telling us for a long time that they want their children to be able to enjoy childhood. We’d like young girls to be encouraged to emulate Olympic stars like Ellie Simmonds and Rebecca Adlington when in the swimming pool – not models in leopard print.”
Hurley’s camp commented on the allegations, saying that the children’s swimwear has been selling really well.
“Our collections sell extremely well in Harrods and in numerous stores across America and the Middle East. Most of our customers are repeat customers who report that their kids adore the designs.”
So what do you think?
Images: Sharon Neetles/GlobePhotos – ImageCollect & ElizabethHurley.com
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