ELLE UK is facing backlash after cropping BLACKPINK’s ROSÉ out of a group photo taken at Saint Laurent’s Paris Fashion Week show. The original image featured ROSÉ seated alongside Hailey Bieber, Zoë Kravitz, and Charli XCX, but in the version posted on ELLE UK’s Instagram, ROSÉ was visibly missing.
Fans immediately noticed and flooded the comments with questions like “Where’s ROSÉ?” and “Why did you crop her out?” Many accused the magazine of racial bias, noting that ROSÉ was not only present at the event but was also the only official global ambassador for Saint Laurent among the four stars.
The post was later deleted following widespread criticism. Social media users condemned the decision as another example of Western media sidelining Asian artists — even those with global influence. BLACKPINK fans, known as BLINKs, called it “disrespectful” and “tone-deaf,” given her long-standing relationship with the French luxury brand.
In response, ELLE UK issued an apology, explaining that the image was cropped “to fit the size” of the social media post and that “no offence was intended.” The magazine added that it would “strive to better represent the full spectrum” of its audience going forward. However, many fans found the explanation inadequate, calling it a “non-apology” that failed to take responsibility for the exclusion.
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The controversy resonated beyond fandom circles, sparking wider conversations about representation and visibility in fashion. For many, ROSÉ’s removal wasn’t just a social media mishap — it symbolised how easily Asian figures can be edited out of global narratives. As one of Saint Laurent’s most recognisable ambassadors, her absence from the photo served as a powerful reminder that inclusion in fashion must go beyond the runway.
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