CK Upskirt Scandal: Klara Kristin Defends Calvin Klein Ad

Calvin Klein got into some hot water with its latest ad campaign. It’s probably the raciest one yet.

In fact, the whole Spring 2016 campaign is sexual in nature. Kendall Jenner kicks things off by posing suggestively with grapefruit that represents a certain female anatomy. Jenner is photographed wearing a white camisole tank and CK jeans, but it’s hard to notice in the steamy photos.

One of the photos shows Kendall squeezing a grapefruit and includes the phrase, “Eat in #mycalvins.”

Next up we have Abbey Lee Kershaw featured in another NSFW campaign. She’s seen rocking CK jeans backward with the phrase, “I belfie in #mycalvins,” a play on “butt-selfie.” Her butt cheeks are seen peeking out of what’s supposed to be the front of the jeans.

But that’s not the photos that are making people angry. Fans slammed another photo of Danish model Klara Kristen who’s featured in an upskirt photo.

Calvin Klein proudly posted the NSFW photo on the official Instagram page along with the caption, “Take a peek at Klara Kristin through Harley Weir’s lens #mycalvins.”

The photo shows an up-the-dress view of the 22-year-model in which her underwear was completely visible to the camera. The image also reads, “I flash in #mycalvins.”

The photo received outrage on social media. Some deemed Calvin Klein’s new ad campaign as “creepy” and “pervy.” Some commented on the model’s youthful appearance that makes her look underage. They also found that the photo mocked upskirt photos that are often found on revenge porn sites.

“She looks all of 12 years old…sick,” wrote one Instagram user.

“I’d throw up in #mycalvins,” Faith Lee tweeted. “Child porn? I don’t understand how this is ok?”

While taking upskirting photos is very much against the law, some cops still believe it’s not a serious crime. Additionally, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has launched a petition asking Calvin Klein to end the campaign, stating that it glamorizes sexual harassment.

“Up-skirting is a growing trend of sexual harassment where pictures are taken up a woman’s skirt without her knowledge, or without her consent. Not only is this activity a crime in many states like New York, Washington, Florida, and more, but it is also a disturbing breach of privacy and public trust. By normalizing and glamorizing this sexual harassment, Calvin Klein is sending a message that the experiences of real-life victims don’t matter, and that it is okay for men to treat the woman standing next to them on the metro as available pornography whenever they so choose.”

Kristin defends the photo. She has proudly displayed it on her Instagram page, along with her opinion on the photo, which she calls “empowering.”

“I love this photo @harleyweir took of me. 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.”

Photographer Harley Weir has also defended his decision to shoot the photo. He shared it on his own Instagram page without including a caption or a statement.

This isn’t the first time that Calvin Klein has made controversy for its sexually charged ads. The brand infamously featured a then 15-year-old Brooke Shields saying, “You wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing,” which caused a stir in 1981, long before social media, for sexualizing a child.

Then, in 1995, the Calvin Klein Jeans company did it again with another advertising campaign that was borderline creepy. The campaign shot by Steven Meisel featured adolescent models posing against wood paneling that looked like borderline child porn. It was so scandalous that even the Catholic League, American Family Association, and the Justice Department got involved.

What are your thoughts on Calvin Klein’s new ad campaign? Do you think it’s inappropriate? Sound off below in the comments section.

[Photo by Clemens Bilan/Getty Images]