Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
"Fat" Ralph Lauren Model Fired, Photoshopped
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 14, 2009
Modified Oct 14, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 14, 2009
Modified Oct 14, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Guess which one is Photoshopped
This Ralph Lauren model was fired earlier this year for being too fat. At 5' 10" and 120 lbs, Filippa Hamilton (who was with the company since 2002), tells the Daily News, "They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore."
To add insult to injury, a Ralph Lauren Blue Label ad she appeared in popped up in Japan (and on the internet) last week severely Photoshopped, leading to an onslaught of criticism of the company, and in turn, the company went through a period of denial and threatened anyone who posted the image. Finally, however, they released a statement admitting they turned Hamilton into a bobblehead. It said, in part: "After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body. "
They also said that Hamilton is a "beautiful and healthy" woman... but she's still fired due to failure to meet contract obligations (to look like Skeletor in real life?). Hamilton declares: "I'm very proud of what I look like, and I think a role model should look healthy." Indeed. She appeared on the Today Show this morning, saying that she hadn't even gained weight since the contract was signed. Cosmo editor-in-chief, Kate White, was also on hand, offering Hamilton an 8-page spread in the magazine.
Tagged
ad
Filippa Hamilton
model
photoshop
ralph lauren
weight
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .