It is either Kingsley Cooper has a strange logic or he is being downright disingenuous. Or both! Belatedly, unfortunately, public concern, even if too mutedly, has been raised about the fact that a 13-year-old child, Shermonique Ivey, had won the fashion model search contest put on annually by Pulse Ltd, the company controlled by Mr Cooper.

As Dr Marcia Hamilton said in a letter to this newspaper, the fashion industry, and indeed Mr Cooper's contest, overwhelmingly represents young women in "sexual imagery". As was the case with little Ms Ivey.

Reinforce the negatives

That of itself, in the normal scheme of things, may be overlooked as an issue of individual choice. Except in the case of an early pubescent girl, barely into high school and in a society of deep social problems and high levels of exploitation of young girls. In other words, by having this child in the contest and the subsequent parading of her in skimpy clothes, Pulse is serving to reinforce the negatives.

Moreover, the issue seems to raise questions about parental responsibility, perhaps even about the law relating to child labour and even, possibly, breaches of other social legislation referred to by Dr Hamilton.

Cooper's logic

But how does Mr Cooper respond to these concerns? By pointing out that it has happened before - in 1985 when Rori Coombs entered the contest. And Mr Cooper makes the point that there was no uproar then.

Presumably, therefore, quad erat demonstrandum - point proven: it is all right to have 13-year-old girls parade almost naked in fashion model contests.

But Mr Cooper also offers a sop to the societal whiners: little Miss Ivey will not be placed by Pulse in any "sexualised situations". And, oh, she will not begin professional modelling until she finishes her secondary-school exams.

Which, of course, defeats the purpose of Mr Cooper's contest: to discover young women to take up professional modelling contracts. In this case, win now, and get contracts three or four years later.

Well now, Mr Cooper, fine piece of logic ... at the Pulse studios.

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