This image stopped me in my tracks. It was originally reported as a photo set to appear in an upcoming issue of Marie Claire US, but in actual fact it’s a leaked image from a 2013 cover shoot for Marie Claire South America.
It is conspicuous because the 48-year old supermodel appears un-retouched. There is no denying Crawford’s beauty or striking physique; in fact the image reminded me of The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick’s famous quip. “There are 3 billion women in the world who don’t look like supermodels and only 8 that do”.
Even without being retouched there are very few 48-year old women who would look in a mirror and see something reminiscent of Cindy Crawford. But, regardless of that, there is one aspect in this photo that is relatable and it’s the simple fact that she does not look ‘perfect’; she looks real.
Her body reminds me of bodies I see in real life – at the beach, by the pool, in the mirror – where shape, flesh, skin and tone are uneven and bumpy. That I found this photo of Crawford so striking reminded me how accustomed I am to images that have been airbrushed.
In magazines, on billboards, in movies, it is rare to see a body or skin that isn’t impossibly taut and flawless. Even though most of us appreciate, logically at least, that these images are the result of technology and don’t accurately reflect how bodies look in their un-retouched glory, it’s easy to lose sight of.
When I first saw the picture the article alongside it said that Cindy Crawford insisted on the image not being altered because she wanted her daughter to see how real bodies look. I felt genuinely buoyed by that. I believe we do boys, girls, men and women, a great disservice by presenting them with an endless parade of unrealistic images. Aren’t we setting ourselves up for failure if we fill our collective psyche with images that are unattainable?
That’s why I believe there is real power in a woman – who has earned her living on the basis of her beauty – shunning the tools that help maintain the chasm between reality and fantasy regarding appearance.
To say it’s brave for Crawford to appear without digital enhancement is a misappropriation of the word but it is bold. At least it would have been if the original reports were accurate. The image was leaked so it wasn’t a deliberate choice to appear un–retouched.
Maybe, however, the collective cheering this image garnered around the world will prompt another model to give it a go.