12 Provocative Fashion Ads That Pushed the Limits

In 1980, Calvin Klein tapped a 15-year-old Shields for a series of sexy print and TV ads. Shields modeled Klein’s new super tight denim line, and became the first to say the now famous phrase: “Do you know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” The commercial sparked controversy for Shields’ young age and was banned from airing on CBS and ABC, but it was not the first nor the last, time Klein would face backlash. Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s the designer’s campaigns, often featuring young models, popularized the fashion industry's use of blatant sex appeal. 

Saint Laurent made headlines with this suggestive ad showing model Sophie Dahl lying in a nearly nude pose. After receiving nearly a thousand complaints— this YSL Opium perfume ad found a spot on the ASA's Top Most Complained About Ads list.

During his time at the helm of Gucci, Tom Ford transformed the label into a symbol of sexed-up luxury, where a model walking the runway in a G-string was the norm. The designer applied that same ethos to menswear, tapping photographer Terry Richardson, a frequent collaborator at the time, for the Fall/Winter 2001 campaign. The result was a suggestive image of a chiseled model gripping the edge of his logo belt.

Richardson and Sisley made headlines with this suggestive ad showing a model ingesting milk from a cow’s udders. The 2001 campaign included other pictures of models on a farm, but this one of model Josie Maran particularly stood out.

Yves Saint Laurent’s 2002 ad was the brand’s first to showcase male nudity. In it, Samuel de Cubber poses in a manner reminiscent of a 1971 nude shot of Saint Laurent himself. The ad ran under the creative direction of Tom Ford. "Perfume is worn on the skin,” Ford said in a press release at the time. “So why hide the body?"

Another offering from Tom Ford's Gucci, the Spring/Summer 2003 campaign centered on an image of model Carmen Kass’s exposed pubic hair, shaved into a neat Gucci “G” logo. Lensed by Mario Testino and styled by Carine Roitfeld, the campaign was met with swift backlash. Standards groups called it “extremely harmful,” and the ad was banned in the United Kingdom. Of course, now the ad is praised for its irreverence. 

Another Richardson-lensed image, Sisley received backlash for this sexually provocative ad in 2003. A female model stares at a charging bull, implying not only sex but its animalistic connotations. Though the campaign speaks to female desire, the comparison of male sexual energy to a fighting bull angered many. 

In 2007, Ford and Richardson teamed up again for a risqué fragrance ad. The campaign pictures a glistening woman touching the spray nozzle of a perfume bottle, strategically placed over her crotch.

Diesel’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection may live on in infamy thanks to its branding. The slogan “Sex Sells… but unfortunately we sell jeans” punctuated images of nearly topless, partying models.

Julianne Moore’s 2011 Bulgari campaign was considered so scandalous that it was actually blocked from appearing on a billboard in Venice. Even though the actress is covered with a purse and two lion cubs, Venetian Mayor Giorgio Orsoni said the image was too inappropriate to hang in St. Mark’s Square. “We cannot accept these Hollywood-style images,” said President of the Venice Foundation Mario Folin. “We need to come up with advertising that suits Venice, not Times Square.” Instead, a different image where Moore was clothed was put on the billboard. 

Sisley's 2007 "fashion junkie" campaign quickly caught the attention of industry insiders and consumers alike. The image of two models indulging in some recreational "fashion" sparked controversy with critics arguing the ad glamorized drug use. The Parisian brand's ad was banned shortly after its market debut. 

Eckhaus Latta’s Spring/Summer 2017 campaign showed real couples engaging in physical intimacy. But with soft lighting and strategic pixelation, the Heji Shin-captured campaign feels more sensual than pornographic. The hit gender-fluid label’s advertisements highlight how clothing—or the lack of it—punctuates life’s most personal, raw moments.  

Emma Chamberlain bared it all in a new campaign for Jared Ellner's debut collection. In the eponymous label's imagery, the YouTuber wears nothing but heels while posing with new Jared Ellner handbags. Each purse features hand-woven with ribbons ranging from a glossy, ballerina-like pink hue to black denim.