Should A 12-Year-Old Boy Model Womenswear?

Photo: Courtesy Acne StudiosContinuing in the trend of embracing androgyny and blurring gender lines, one designer chose his pre-pubescent son as the ideal model for his latest womenswear collection.

Frasse Johannsson, son of Acne Studios creative director Jonny Johansson, models the fall 2015 collection in a campaign that is reminiscent of playing dress-up, but this time in high fashion. While the full campaign will not go live until Thursday, a teaser of the ad was shared on social media, and it shows the blonde-haired boy in a pink coat, fierce accessories and high-heeled boots.

Johannsson, the father, opened up about his decision to cast his son in the campaign, saying it was about “the cut, the shape and the character of the garment is the crucial thing, rather than seeking approval from society or to follow set norms.”

However, does casting an 12-year-old boy for womenswear, forgetting gender norms and what society thinks, really send the right message? Fashion is still dominated by stick=thin models, and rarely reflects the average woman. Choosing a pre-teen boy to model women’s clothing continues the ongoing trend of ignoring women with curves in high-fashion, and makes larger women feel inferior when it comes to shopping for designer labels.

And does putting your clothes on a boy who appears to weigh less than 100 pounds, with no curves at all to speak of, really show off the cut and shape of a garment better than a full-grown woman? An even better question, if a 12-year-old boy does in fact show off your clothing best:  doesn’t that say something about the clothing you are making?

Questions aside, the model himself, who prefers football to modeling, only had one issue with the campaign. “Walking in high heels is so hard, and I don’t understand how anyone can walk in them,” the boy told WWD.

What do you think of the campaign? Let us know in the comments below!

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