Is Topshop’s Self-Love Message Missing The Point?

With Gigi Hadid fighting back at fat-shamers and Demi Lovato's recent Vanity Fair sans-Photoshop (or clothes) spread, it feels like beauty empowerment is at an all-time high. And now, Topshop is honing in on the message in an unexpected way — through temporary tattoos. The British clothing brand and Central Saint Martins recently collaborated on the Freedom at Topshop competition, for which jewelry-design students were asked to create collections based on the words "women and power.” The top honor, selected by a slew of fashion-industry professionals, was awarded to Lucie Davis. Her line of temporary tattoos — featuring gold freckles, moles, spots, and scars — will launch in stores on October 8. "Living in the age of Photoshop and airbrushing tools, skin is always under pressure to be ‘perfect,’" reads a Topshop press release. "Lucie’s designs aim to leave a lasting impression by ultimately encouraging a greater appreciation and ownership of ourselves; highlighting imperfections and celebrating adversity." We're all about embracing features that some may perceive as imperfections. Often, the characteristics that don't fit into the stereotypical beauty mold make people stand out — in the best ways. But to us, this seems like a bizarre way to celebrate our differences. We understand that the collection is about encouraging self-love, but the "women and power” message would be stronger if the models actually had freckles and scars — instead of wearing products that re-create them.

It seems that women who have said features wouldn't wear the tattoos, because they'd just be covering them up — and isn't that the opposite of flaunting your "imperfections"? Though not on the same controversial scale, this reminds us of when women were recreating model Winnie Harlow's vitiligo skin condition. While it's nice to show solidarity, at what point does this kind of thing cross into borderline weird territory and completely miss the point? Let us know how you feel in the comments. Are you all for the tats, or do they give you pause?