On Tuesday, the world let out a collective gasp when Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli sent out a press release with a digitally altered image of the pop star wearing his latest design. The problem: Beyoncé's healthy curves were retouched to make her appear extremely skinny, triggering Internet outrage—and an explanation from Cavalli.
Cavalli tweeted a link to his Facebook page on Wednesday morning, “Dear Fans, We would like to clarify that the image of the gown created by Roberto Cavalli for Beyoncé is a sketch and not a photo, and therefore it is only meant to be a stylized and artistic vision. Roberto Cavalli loves women and more than anyone else has always exalted and highlighted the female shape with his creations, building his signature style on the glorification of sensuality and femininity.”
The press release had included an image of Beyoncé wearing a colorful Cavalli gown designed for her “Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.” Her waist had been whittled down considerably, her legs were elongated and spidery, and her arms looked frail. Also included were photos of Beyoncé on stage wearing the design. The contrast was shocking.
Twitter exploded with criticism of the image. Alex McCord, formerly of The Real Housewives of New York City tweeted, “She has the right face, but everything else? Not so much!! What did Roberto Cavalli DO to @Beyonce in this PIC?”, Jaden wrote, "So you decide to edit out all of Beyoncé's curves??" and @hollybrocks tweeted, “And the award for worst Photoshop job of ALL TIME goes to Roberto Cavalli for Beyonce's legs.” Comments on Cavalli's Facebook page were equally passionate. Dan English wrote, "This is a disgusting depiction of Beyonce, whether it's a sketch or not."
