One possible contributing factor for the continued presence of tobacco ads in fashion magazines: the stubborn prevalence of smoking in the fashion world, particularly among models.

"All the girls smoke," says Michael Vollbracht, creative director at Bill Blass. "I was doing a fashion show, and all these beautiful young things were smoking outside. They looked at me like I was an old fuddy-duddy."

One prominent player in the fashion industry says it's "jarring" to think that fashion magazines print tobacco ads — but confesses she flips by them without noticing.

"I'll bet if you told a lot of people there are cigarette ads in fashion magazines, they'd say, 'you're kidding,"' says Nian Fish, creative director and senior vice president at KCD, which produces shows for top fashion houses.

Both she and Vollbracht feel that the fashion industry itself shouldn't have to address alone a much broader social issue.

"We're a capitalist society, aren't we?" Vollbracht said. "We have to take it up with our government. The fashion industry can only do so much."