I would be doing a disservice to myself without expressing my revolt for Nasty Gal hiring Terry Richardson to shoot their Fall 2012 collection. It's not that I have a problem with Nasty Gal; in fact, I like the confetti and festival-grunge affair going on.
It's knowing that Terry Richardson directed and shot the collection with his voyeurism-promoting mindset and history of sexual harassment that really soils the whole thing for me.
It's difficult to completely explain why the actions of one man who is only partially involved with the brand should turn me off from Nasty Gal. Many would query why it is that the background of someone should have any relation to their professional life. The fact is that Richardson's first publicly acknowledged act of sexual molestation was with a model he was working with, therefore it is in direct relation to his work (not that it should matter a great deal more than if it was non-work related). I find it disappointing and obscene that not only has such a case been so easily dismissed in the industry of fashion publishing and photography; Richardson has been praised and all but placed on a pedestal for his photography with nearly zero regard to his history of sexual advances with young models.
To sum it up, I feel like the fact that Terry Richardson being hired by major clothing brands like Nasty Gal is a huge insult to women who have faced or are facing sexual harassment, especially by people who have the power to impact their careers.
