Who knew a ball of yarn could become such a controversy, well thanks to Benetton in Soho it is. At the Art of Knit, the fall/winter pop up store in New York has a feature of yarn art that is, ahem, “not safe for work” to say the least. Some are even calling it X-rated, and well, it’s pretty close to it.
Artist Erik Ravelo created the pieces and one of the spiciest art are yarn statues called, "Lana Sutra" which is a fancy word for a couple in a mid-sex position among Benetton’s brightly coloredclothing, sweaters and tees.
Is it putting people in the mood to shop? Or just in the mood? Parents and locals are appropriately upset by the sexual statues in the middle of town on display for young children to see. Some parents took the opposite stance, however, stating: "It certainly is a very confronting image, but I believe our children see things just as confronting on music videos," one commenter writes. "Most kids won't even realize what they are seeing when they see this display. And if they do, it's probably time to teach them a little bit about the facts of life."Benetton is probably eating up the controversial attention. But not all PR is good – right? The retailer has pulled risky moves in the past, most notably the "UNHATE" campaign, edited photo ads depicting world leaders kissing. (The campaign later won an award at the Cannes Film Festival.) Check out the risque yarn art on display courtesy of the Huffington Post and let us know if this shock factor is too much or too public or if it should be dismissed as another stunt by Benetton.
