CALVIN Klein is the latest fashion label caught in a trans row after using a transgender man to model a sports bra.
The US brand— famed for sexy adverts featuring the likes of Mark Wahlberg and Kate Moss— opted for bearded Dutch influencer Bappie Kortram for its Pride campaign.
He appears with a plus-size model called Jamilla.
One woman posted online: “This makes the clothes look ugly.”
Another wrote: “Gross. A far cry from their haute couture ads.”
A third added: “In a bid to appease a tiny minority, they’re alienating a huge majority.”
The two snaps were released last year but re-emerged this week when GP Anastasia Maria Loupis shared them on Twitter, captioned: “Calvin Klein wants to go broke.”
Bappie, currently fundraising to have his breasts removed, said when he was cast: “I think that it is important to show that trans masc bodies with breasts should be celebrated.”
Adidas has come under fire for using a male model to plug a swimsuit while Nike used trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a sports bra ad.
Bappie said of the backlash: “I want to start with the fact that I still stand by my original message and the pride that I felt when Calvin Klein invited me to model for their Pride Collection of 2022.
“For me it is important that trans men get to see diverse representation.
“Representation that shows more than thin muscular bodies, whose top surgery ( removal of breast ) are nearly perfect.
“There are trans men who don’t want the surgery, don’t have access to it or are flat out denied.
“Their bodies count too and deserve to be seen in brands, products and commercials that validate their life.
“Even though I myself have gotten top surgery a month after the shoot, I still look back at this with pride and only focus on the people that felt validated and seen with this shoot.
“For those who replied with disgust I would say, only a person that loves themselves would be able to celebrate other forms of beauty.”
