Vogue Netherlands shoots Ymre Stiekema breastfeeding, internet howls "NSFW"!

Vogue via HuffPo

My only concern is whether or not this pic features her own baby. Ms. Stiekema gave birth to a baby girl last December, but the one in the picture looks rather young.

I don't know why I'd think that a mother deciding to objectify her own baby is better than objectifying someone else's. But the idea of breastfeeding portraits is quite well established, from the Virgin Mary to Kate Hansen. And I think they do a society good, no matter how pretentious. (I'm looking at you, Erwin Olaf.)

Nonetheless, The Huffington Post shared the pic with an "NSFW" (not safe for work) warning, and The Cut's headline was "Have You Seen Naked Breast-feeding Vogue Model Mom?"

The baby was unavailable for comment.

Big changes for teen models in the New York fashion industry

Elle Fanning at 12, 2010 (Steven Pan/Interview, via MTV)

According to Buzzfeed's Amy Odell, there are big changes afoot for New York's fashion industry:

...new legislation proposed by Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein and State Senate Labor Committee Chairwoman Diane Savino, seeks to close the loophole that excludes print and runway models from the same protections as all other child performers. ... Expanding the definition of child performers to include print and runway models would require young models to have chaperones on set, ensure a portion of their earnings goes into a financial trust, and ensure they don’t miss too much school for work.

Seems like ordinary decency to me, but apparently print and runway models in the state have not been protected by strong labour laws — leading to economic and even sexual exploitation.

Here is more, from The Cut:

Other requirements for employing children under 18: If they miss over three days of school, their employer must provide a tutor and space for them to study. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a chaperone. Can you imagine desks and parents backstage at fashion shows? It sounds unlikely, and enforcement might be tricky, especially since models are commonly considered "independent contractors" rather than employees. But establishing some basic rights for these kids — because they are, in fact, children — should be a priority. The bill could pass as early as next week, posing complications for modeling agencies. Alternatively, they could just cast models over 18, which really wouldn't be so bad.

No, it wouldn't. Let teen models model teen clothing to teens, and let adult women do the adult modelling. Then maybe 20-something fashion victims could stop starving themselves to match the way their clothes hang on pubescent models.

Sexy adult diapers? Welcome to the new frontier of intergenerational branding

I recall, about 20 years back, an article in Spy Magazine that pointed to loose-fit Levi's as proof that aging baby boomers refused to give up the trappings of their youth. Now I think I've seen an equivalent for my generation (for women, at least): sexy incontinence panties.

Previously marketed as "Sexy Period" panties, these absorbent underthings have been relaunched as "Dear Kate" and positioned as fashionable confidence-boosters for the millions of women who experience urinary incontinence — especially as they age.

According to The Cut, 25-year-old Sexy Period founder Julie Sygiel was surprised when she found out how common incontinence was (1 in 4 women, according to the brand's new site)  but immediately saw a huge opportunity. “People say ‘I laughed so hard, I peed my pants,’ but I never knew it was real,” she noted.

The transformation of this Gen-Y brand for young women with heavy menstrual flow into a brand for specialized maternity and incontinence needs is impressive. To get a perspective, here's a quote from Dear Kate’s 28-year-old COO, Sharon Ruggieri: “We’ve never had children but we’re learning things about pregnancy no one told us".

But they're willing to learn. Now those are some smart marketers.