Upmarket French fashion chain La Redoute landed itself in hot water today (4 January) after inadvertently publishing a photo of a naked man on its website.
To make matters worse, the shoot featured four children - all dressed in La Redoute swimwear and happily playing on an idyllic-looking beach - with the nude individual just visible in the water behind them.
Whoever edited the photo and published it on the site was apparently unaware of the X-rated mishap, but reaction was swift on Twitter, with the French expressing both amusement and outrage.
"SCANDALE!" one user wrote, as another noted that with the children on the beach, the nudity was "un deuxième Fail pour la Redoute."
La Redoute responded by posting an apology on its Facebook page and vowed to remove the offensive picture in question. It said it appreciated the "sensitive" nature of the photo and would take steps to ensure that the mistake would not be repeated in the future.
Nothing is known yet about the identity of the unfortunate man who accidentally photo-bombed the fashion shoot.
Based in northern France, La Redoute is a powerhouse among fashion retailers and the largest mail order company in the country. It also runs a hugely successful order service to the UK and other parts of the world.
