The April edition of the Urban Outfitters catalog has been shipped and is arriving in homes now. If you’re not familiar with the brand, Urban Outfitters is a publicly traded company selling clothing, accessories, and home decor for young men and women.
So what’s the big deal? It’s just another bargain basement shop.
Apparently, this is a big deal.
For some.
Particularly among conservatives.
This photo is from page four of the catalog.
Urban Outfitters hasn’t responded publicly to this. And, why should they? Because they are a publicly traded company. They do have an obligation to speak to their shareholders when such controversy is created. If I were CEO and President Richard Hayne (who is a well know conservative, and who has reportedly donated $13,000 to Rick Santorum’s unsuccessful campaign for The White House), I would act quickly. There are people who are going to be curious on the company’s intent behind the photograph. No point in getting stockholders all upset about a non-issue.
What do I think? I think it is a beautiful photograph of two young women who love each other, they may not necessarily be in love with each other. Women, not just teens, develop deep friendships with other women. It is common and natural. There is no harm in this photograph. Though I don’t know if it necessarily makes me want to purchase either dress. Since that is the point of a catalog, I guess they failed.
The funny thing about this is that I used to think of myself as conservative. I guess I’m not.
I’m sure you’re wondering if I support Urban Outfitters {or their family of brands} by shopping in their stores? No. But that is because they have a rich history of ripping off artists. And, that’s just crappy, shady, and uncool.
What do you think? Is this photograph offensive and/or inappropriate for their target market – which is young women? Will you continue to shop at Urban Outfitters or their other brands (Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN)?
(If you feel the need to contact Urban Outfitters about this, you may call toll-free 800-959-8794 or fill out their handy form here.)
I guess I don’t see the uproar. To me, it’s a mundane photo. I don’t shop there, as their items are mediocre quality with hefty pricetags.
This will not effect of what I think about the company. I guess I am a bit conservative, cause any kind of public affection confuses me (and it’s not like I grew up in the woods or something)
I don’t shop at this store, but I agree that if they don’t want to distance themselves from their shareholders then they should be more careful. I do tend to be more conservative and if the CEO has given money to Santorum then I am pretty surprised by this.
Thanks for sharing.
I don’t see anything wrong with it – I’m assuming they are trying to reach out to more than just conservative consumers. I am surprised the CEO hasn’t responded yet, but maybe he is busy figuring out who approved it? I’ve seen worse ads portraying straight relationships but people are slow to get up in arms about those.
I personally don’t care about the photo, but I agree with you that it doesn’t make me want to buy their dresses any more than before I saw it. It seems a little out of place for a fashion catalog.
I, too, don’t see anything wrong about this photo. I wouldn’t see anything wrong about a man and a woman kissing either. If there were less clothes I might have to say something (for both genders) but the photo shows off the clothes. And that’s what it’s supposed to be about, right?
I’m not surprised by this at all. In general our culture sells everything from toothpaste to sanitary pads with sexual adds. This is pretty mild compared to some I’ve seen. Do I think it is right? Do I want my children to be persuaded to purchase product because its sexy? No. But my thoughts and opinions as a consumer don’t seem to matter any more anyway.