Actress and model Elizabeth Hurley, 47, has recently come under major fire throughout the UK for her new line of children’s bikini wear aimed at young girls.
A major actress and model herself, Hurley turned to fashion design as well and produces a number of products each year that are sold throughout the world with great success. What has come under particular scrutiny as of late, however, has been her clothing line with young 8 and 10 year old girls modeling revealing bikinis.
Being attacked by concerned parents throughout the UK, Hurley’s line of clothing using children (some of them the daughters of her friends and colleagues) and, according to the Daily Mail, director of the child protection charity Kidscape Claude Knight has stated that, “‘It is very disturbing to see some inappropriate items in this swimwear range. The pieces that are very adult and which contribute to the sexualisation of young girls – especially in the poses portrayed – do not take account of the child protection concerns that have been well-aired.”
Hurley actively denies any accusations that the clothing lines are inappropriate, with her spokesperson saying that the clothing lines “…sell extremely well in Harrods and in numerous stores across America and the Middle East” and that “Most of our customers are repeat customers who report that their kids adore the designs.”
Whether or not the kids like them, though, isn’t a point of concern for most parents, especially as Hurley’s marketing paints the bikinis as a way for girls to “look more grown up”, something that the target market range of 8 to 13 year old girls often want to do. Given the fact that according to Ernie Allen, President of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, roughly 400,000 registered sex offenders are living throughout the U.S. right now the parents may have somewhat of a valid concern.