Consumers have an independent voice now that can't be ignored. They will only continue to challenge the status quo, and brands need to listen. I believe this is all representative of a greater movement, with the customer base taking the power back and retailers being unable to ignore their feedback, becoming increasingly vulnerable and desperate as consumer spending continues to drop.
Now more than ever, companies have a social responsibility. Retailers are called on to bring visibility to their supply chains and working conditions, represent diversity and have an accessible personality and voice. Customers deserve better and they know it, with more and more people actively trying to make considered purchases from companies they find ethical and proactive.
This sees retailers scrambling to present a palatable image to their customer base, enhancing and communicating brand truths or lightly massaging the reality of their business to be more appealing.
Unlike the recent mannequin scandal at Glassons (who are, incidentally - and vaguely - "Made Of Here"), Topshop were quick to respond - knowing all too well the mistake many retailers make of stonewalling their customers on social media.
However, I can't help but think that this could have been avoided in the first place. Topshop knows their audience, and, that they are the most digitally engaged of any. They should have anticipated a backlash, however mild, caused by placing extreme mannequins in their stores.
As much as I hate pearl clutching over something as seemingly innocuous as a chunk of fibreglass, their appearance is indicative of the societal ideals that are an inescapable part of the female experience.
Women are inundated constantly with society's unrealistic perceptions of beauty. Impossible to ignore, the media's view of perfection stares out at us from magazines, billboards, movies and shops - serving to emphasise our own perceived imperfections and physical shortfalls.
We are constantly presented with impossible idols, from surreal store mannequins to pore-less supermodels - not to mention the teenage girls that continue to be celebrated as a physical ideal, the latest being Lily Rose Depp fronting the latest Chanel campaign at the tender age of 16 (runway models are frequently even younger).
You would need willpower of steel for these unattainable goals not to affect your self-esteem, even insidiously.
When I was 19 and in the depths of an eating disorder, even the most harmless image, comment or interaction could trigger waves of self loathing and insecurity - let alone the omnipresence of the fashion industry's sharp clavicles.
We can't present extreme thinness as the exclusive, elusive beauty ideal and not expect it to have some impact. Yes, some women are slim (myself, admittedly, included) but it should not be the cornerstone by which we measure beauty or health, and fashion brands need to accept responsibility and take ownership for the images they present.
Whilst I feel it's degrading to the intelligence, confidence and sensitivity of young women to assume they could be influenced by an inanimate object, sadly it is the reality that society and the media has created.
By presenting one standard for the physical ideal, they insinuate that there is no space for other options in the palette of public consumption. In a way, we are all somewhat guilty. Sometimes it's easier to turn a blind eye if something doesn't sit right with you, as we become desensitised and complacent to the messages fed to us by the media and retailers.
No matter how seemingly insignificant the catalyst, the dialogue around societal body ideals is one that needs to be ongoing.
Although Topshop conceded that they would no longer place orders for the mannequin in question, it will be interesting to see whether they remain on store floors, as this was tactfully not mentioned by the company in their response.
There is appeasement (which this may very well be a case of) and then there is greater, societal shift. We can only hope that we're collectively moving towards the latter.
