H&M Girl With A Dragon Tattoo Clothing Range 'Glamorises Rape' Says Blogger Natalie Karneef

Retail giant H&M has been accused of glamorising rape after unveiling its Girl With A Dragon Tattoo collection.

The range, inspired by the film of the same name, features leather jackets, hoodies, mini-skirts and boots, all in the edgy style of the protagonist Lisbeth Salander.

Salander, played by Hollywood actress Rooney Mara, is traumatised by a violent rape, yet transforms from victim to avenger in the hit Steig Larsson adaptation.

But in an open letter on her blog, rape victim Natalie Karneef claims H&M is “putting a glossy, trendy finish on the face of sexual violence and the rage and fear it leaves behind.”

She continued: “I wonder if you’ve considered how a survivor of sexual violence chooses her or his fashion choices. I wonder if your designers researched what we think about when we get dressed, how some of us will opt against a revealing outfit because we’d rather not deal with unwelcome advances or sexist slurs.’

Lisbeth Salander, played by Rooney Mara, is the victim of a violent rape

While Karneef makes clear she believes women should be free to wear what they want, she points out: “Many of us who have been there still decide against the short skirt. We place our bets, hoping that our camouflage will protect us from a rude catcall in a subway station, and the subsequent anger, shaking, tears.

“When I dress in the spirit Lisbeth Salander, it's because I want to send a message to men: to stay the f*** away.”

Writing for the Montreal Gazette, she asked: “What message is H&M sending to the world?

“’Look at the trendy rape survivor? Look how strong she is, that she can get through all that hell and still wear cool leather jackets?’”

In response to Division Designer at H&M Anna Norling’s comments that she is “proud” of the line because Lisbeth is “the very essence of an independent woman”, the film’s star is in fact “severely emotionally scarred” after years of abuse and violence.

Karneef said: “If H&M really believed in promoting the essence of independent women, it would donate to organisations that promote prevention and help the survivors of gender-based violence, not create a fashion line to glamourise it.”

H&M have apologised for causing offence by the collection, but added: “We do not view this collection as provocative-it contains pieces that are staples in many people’s wardrobes: jeans, biker jackets and t-shirts.

“It’s all about how you wear them. We encourage our customers to find their own personal way to wear our products.”

Comments

[highclassbroad]

03:29 PM on 12/26/2011

Grow up, lady! I have never seen the movie or read the book, but good for her! She is a strong, courageous woman who got NO satisfaction out of being raped, and got justice done! Other women have not been as strong as she. Yes, it is traumatic, no one is doubting that. But c'mon, accusing a clothing company of glamorizing rape just because the movie character wore these clothes? Women have been wearing this type of clothing for years, looking absolutely cool and strong!!!

[orlyf]

04:33 PM on 12/25/2011

Karneef can be forgiven for coloring everything based on her traumatic experience. To ascribe evil motives to a clothing designer and retailer just because the character that inspired the line had been raped is to over-react. If the clothes the character wore in the film had been like a nun's, and inspired a nun-like line of clothes, would Karneef be equally upset?

[SnB92]

12:08 PM on 12/24/2011

Absolute Rubbish. This clothing line is no different than the Disney line that makes you feel and look like Miley or Hannah or whoever else is popular at the moment. If these clothes can make a young woman feel confident, strong and empowered then I say good for her.

Perhaps the blogger (I am loathe to say "author" as that would imply more substantive RESEARCH on her part) should actually read the books. Lisbeth Salander is absolutely not a victim and you'd be likely to get her boot up your arse if you said so. Just because the blogger is angry and raging doesn't mean all victims are. I very seriously doubt Lisbeth Salander would rage about someone making fun of her clothes.

[SnB92]

11:56 AM on 12/24/2011

Absolute rubbish. The H&M clothing line is no different from the Disney clothing line. They make you want to look, and feel, like you're Miley or Hannah or whoever is popular at the moment. If those clothes can make a young woman feel empowered or strong or confident then I say good for her.

And incidentally, that book series isn't about "a rape victim". It's about a beautiful, smart young woman who helps stop a serial killer. The fact that she's happens to be a rape victim is secondary, even if it is talked about in detail. If you were to call Lisbeth Salander a "victim" you'd be likely to get her boot right up your arse.

[EdCorey1971]

03:11 PM on 12/22/2011

Sighhhhh

[emisbatmannow]

03:02 PM on 12/21/2011

I don't know...I've been following the progress of this movie for over a year and I've loved every decision they've made about it (including its controversial poster) but I can't really get behind this fashion line. I don't know if I'd go as far as to say that they're glamorizing rape, but what I don't like is that they're making Lisbeth into a fashion icon. She doesn't dress the way she does to be trendy or edgy - she's not a punk rocker who wears this stuff to say "hey look how cool I am." She dresses that way as a warning - like the blogger said, to say "stay away from me." I think if there's women out there who feel the need to send that message (which, there are, unfortunately) they don't need to shop at H & M to do it.

[veritesanspeur]

11:34 AM on 12/20/2011

Wow. You all seem pretty up in arms to defend a fictional character's fashion choices. So happy this fictional character is 'anything but a victim". You champion this book, yet completely refute the feelings of rape victims as invalid or trying to be controversial? The rape survivor who commented in this article should be your champion, not a FAKE PERSON.

It's not hard to see why they're offended... with this clothing line.. it trivializes their experiences.. reducing them to mere fashion. Maybe your fictional hero didn't choose her clothes this way. But what's being taken away from this? Appearances.

It's very offensive because the real people who've been through this get passed over again and again, and people look up to the girl in the "badass leather jacket" and the survivor just gets ignored. Or worse, you'll find someone defending a fictional rape survivor in lieu of a real one.

"She obviously hasn't read the book." Are you kidding me? Shift your focus from the book, with a fictional story, to real men and women who've been through this and are hurt by it. That should lead you in the right direction.

[jetnlexi]

05:48 PM on 12/20/2011

I donot think that anyone is doing that at all......I personally donot see the corellation and quite honestly doubt that anyone even remotely attempted to trivialize anything....especially a "real life victim" but I believe that the blogger herself is taking this way too far.....and here's why....if my sister was killed in a skiiing accident what it be right for me to publicly criticize ski clothing companies for mocking her death by selling ski bunny suits and boots?? My child drowns in a pool and now it's perfectly fine for me to publicly blame a swimsuit maker for making suits cause my child was wearing one when she died. I doubt H&M had any desire at all to make a 'real' victim feel less than.....it's fashion and nothing more and it's not meant to have any meaning whatsoever.....respectfully I say this.....but if anyone is making "waaayyy too much of a big deal" out of a fictional character it is the blogger herself.

[Danielle Stevenson]

09:05 AM on 12/20/2011

Obviously the author of the blod has never read the book, or seen the movie. Lisbeth is nobody's victim. Besides, rape has nothing to do with the clothing the victim wears. Nuns in habits have been raped. Elderly women have been raped. Children have been raped. None of them were dressed in a way that anybody could say was provocative, yet it happened to them. It would be nice to say that, to avoid rape or unwanted attention a woman shouldn't dress a certain way, but the truth isn't nearly that cut and dried.

[Ava Johnson]

10:37 AM on 12/20/2011

Haven't read the book, don't know if I want to, but from what I understand is that the young lady is no victim and gets back at those who hurt her (okay read a synopsis of the book). Anyway, this is the look that combines (imo) goth and Joan Jett personally. Actually, it reminds me a lot of Joan Jett from the 70's. Lots of black clothing.

[yellabwah]

08:23 AM on 12/20/2011

READ THE BOOKS!! Lisbeth is much more than a rape survivor. Her attire is jus one of many ways she attacks the "establishment". It was not as if she transformed herself following the rape into a dark personality. She had molded that way since early childhood.

[Natalie Zador]

08:19 AM on 12/20/2011

I think they are just making a line of clothing based on the fashion of the character. They are not basing it on the fact that she was raped and chose to wear this. I have never been raped, I'm secure about myself, and I wear this clothing all the time.. and guess what? It doesn't detract in the attention, it causes people around me to look at me because of the style/fashion of the clothes. I think people are reading too much into this just because they brought the character's style to the general public...it's no different than shopping at Hot Topic or Spencers

[iskra]

03:01 PM on 12/16/2011

I'm guessing she didn't read the book because Lisabeth is anything but a 'victim'.

[DeAnnaClaudette]

03:22 PM on 12/15/2011

Uh.. no..

[Waldimore]

08:44 AM on 12/15/2011

Nonsene! This woman flat-out does not know what she's talking about. She must want to seem controversial and relevant. That's not how the story goes. She should read the book or see the original movie before flapping off at the mouth. It's unbelievable how stupid people are today.

[Tmboy]

07:48 AM on 12/15/2011

Seriously? If this lady read any of these books she would know it mot the line glamorizes rape. How does designing a line after a character that was raped glamorize the rape. If you readnthe book you woukd know there was zero glamorized about that scene further you would applaud how lisbeth handled it. This ladies gripe is baseless. The line if anything is glamorizing a women that overcame and stayed strong when the entire might of a government was against her.

[Ava Johnson]

10:44 AM on 12/20/2011

You ever notice a lot of times, folks tend to just write stuff they know nothing about without reading the book or findnig out about it. I've noticed that a lot. Some bloggers are the worst offenders.

[Alison Harris]

06:00 AM on 12/15/2011

“If H&M really believed in promoting the essence of independent women, it would donate to organisations that promote prevention and help the survivors of gender-based violence, not create a fashion line to glamourise it.”
too right but they won't because they are only interested in money money money and not people