The term was used to describe a set of
pictures in 1997 featuring Kate Moss and
advertising Calvin Klein clothes. It was
dubbed heroin chic
because the model's look was typified by
emaciated and waif-like appearance with
sunken and glazed eyes and came under a lot
of criticism for promoting drugs and drug
use.
However many commentators denied that fashion images
made drug use itself more attractive. "There is no
reason to expect that people attracted to the look
promoted by Calvin Klein and other
advertisers...will also be attracted to heroin, any
more than suburban teen-agers who wear baggy pants
and backward caps will end up shooting people from
moving cars," wrote Jacob Sullum in Reason
magazine
