Nordstrom criticised for making model's skin appear darker

'Someone please tell Nordstrom that POC exist'

(Getty Images)

Luxury department store Nordstrom has been criticised online for changing a model's skin tone to appear darker.

A Twitter user, who goes by the handle @samfreedster, shared a screenshot of a model photo from the retailer’s website on social media earlier this month.

The image, which featured a white model wearing a polka dot dress was accompanied by an post-production comment, which read: “give model a darker tan”.

Sharing the photo online, @samfreedster wrote: “Nordstrom, you forgot to remove your photoshop notes.”

The tweet has since been liked more than 29,000 times and received more than 6,000 retweets.

Nordstrom promptly replied to the tweet, writing: “Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention.

“We appreciate you voicing your concerns and giving this suggestion! We'll be making sure our teams are made aware. Thank you.”

However, other users were quick to criticise the brand for its mistake with many taking issue with the fact the retailer chose to change the skin tone of its model rather than hire a person of colour.

“I would also like to bring to your attention the fact that you can just take some darker skin models and you won’t need to give your model a darker tan,” one person wrote.

Another commented: “Soooo y’all couldn’t just have someone of colour model this?”

A third person added: “Someone please tell Nordstrom that POC exist.”

Some Twitter users later noted that the brand's original comment had been removed from the image on Nordstrom’s website, but that the model’s skin tone had remained unchanged.

However, one person, who claimed to have previously worked for the company, defended the retailer, writing: “The models are wearing hundreds of looks a day, the photographers and stylists are often so strapped for time to get the images shot, that many things are left to post-productions to correct, this includes when a garment washes out the model.”

The incident comes just days after online retailer Asos was criticised for using bulldog clips to alter the fits of its clothes on models.

A Twitter user shared a series of images from Asos' website in which a model wears a £35 navy blue cami dress.

In two of the photos, bulldog clips can be clearly seen cinching the garment at the model’s waist.

“Uhmm @ASOS …think you forgot to edit those clips out,” the caption read.

The tweet received more than 19,000 likes and was flooded with thousands of comments from angry shoppers.

The Independent has contacted Nordstrom for comment.