*Breitling store petition calls for Bluewater shop to remove mannequin showing underwear

* ( Photo Credit: Kent Online )

by Benson Agoha | Kent

She is bold, beautiful, provocative and may be a little bit more expectantly welcoming. The smiley mannequin with firm breasts and spread legs, seen sitting astride on a bomb at the Blue Water shopping complex is a source of worry for some and petition for others.

It seats on display in front of a luxury watch shop at the complex and the smiley, underwear flashing girl is causing more than a few ripples.

A petition has been launched after Breitling luxury watch shop displayed the mannequin, and it appears to be gaining in popularity - the peition, not the mannequine, as calls for the "offensive" display to be removed intensify.

But like the mannequin the petition leader, a lady named Kirsty Paterson, favours scarlet red. And in the petition on the Change.org website states that: "Breitling (a watch shop) has chosen for public display at Bluewater in Kent a highly sexualised model of a woman, with her legs apart astride a bomb, the pubic region of her underpants is showing and the figure has exaggerated nipples highlighted by a spotlight."

"Bluewater is a family shopping venue in Kent, England. Breitling claims to be a luxury brand. Breitling sells watches, not underwear. I was told, when I complained to the shop, that it was all about their 'proud heritage as a brand linked with aviation history'.

Paterson went on "I was also told by Bluewater ' s customer services team that I am not the only person to have reported the display as inappropriate for Bluewater."

* Screen shot of photo - also above and below.
(Credit: Change.org)

A similar complaint was also said to be running on mums' blog Mumsnet too.

Kirsty adds: "So Breitling, celebrate your aviation heritage - put a lovely model of an aeroplane in your window display.

"Just a simple, unadorned aeroplane. I am sure this is possible. Or scale up the inner mechanical workings of your watch into a fascinating moving art installation.

"Or use the space to profile a display for the Royal British Legion, or Help for Heroes.

"You can choose to celebrate your aviation brand heritage without confronting us with offensive and blatantly misogynistic rubbish from the past. Of course you can.

"Bluewater and your brand claim to be 'luxury' shopping venues. This is not aspirational lifestyle marketing. Nor is it a cheeky, harmless nod to British history, or the valour of pilots in WW2.

"This is marketing watches by sexually objectifying women and it has no place in Bluewater, or in 2016."

The petition, aimed against Breitling and two others, is asking for 200 supporters out of which 185 supporters have already signed up. To support and sign the petition, click here:

[ BREITLING BLUEWATER ].