Fashion models have been skinny since the beginning of time, or, well,
since runway shows have been in existence. The reason: Clothes look
best when they hang on human "coat hangers." The fact is, though, only
about one percent of the population is naturally tall and skinny. The
rest of us (most women anyhow) just want to be.
But would we stop striving to be thin and beautiful if fashion models
were average-size? Sadly, I don't think so. Nevertheless, officials in
Madrid, London and Milan are banning (or thinking about banning)
skinny models from the catwalks in the hopes that young girls won't
emulate these bony beauties.
Will it help? Post your comment below.
Alexi Mostrous and Hugh Muir
Saturday September 16, 2006
The Guardian
Pressure intensified on the organisers of London fashion week
yesterday as the culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, warned of the
dangers of girls starving themselves to emulate waif-like supermodels.
Amid growing calls from politicians and activists for London to follow
the ground-breaking restrictions imposed by the organisers of last
week's Madrid fashion week - where "unhealthily thin" models were
prevented from appearing - Ms Jowell intervened in a personal capacity
to raise what she described as an issue of "major concern".
The rules established by the Spanish authorities meant models with a
body mass index (BMI) of below 18 were not allowed to appear. UN
health experts consider anyone with a BMI - a measurement of body fat
based on weight and height - of 18.5 or below to be underweight.
Letizia Moratti, mayor of Milan, said she will seek a similar ban.
Ms Jowell, who organised a "body image" summit in 2000 to examine the
effect of society's pressures on young women, said: "It's
categorically not an issue for government regulation. It is, however,
an issue of major concern for young girls who feel themselves inferior
when compared to the stick-thin young women on the catwalk. They all
want to look as beautiful as that and see beauty in those terms. And I
think it's fair to say that when they wake up in the morning, the
first thing most 15- and 16-year-old girls do is feel their tummies."
She added: "The other concern must be for the harm it has done to the
starving girls who believe emaciation is their route to fame and
fortune. Let's see healthy girls of sizes 8, 10 and 12 with the
confidence that comes with really believing you look great. We
shouldn't for one moment underestimate the power of fashion in shaping
the attitude of young girls and their feelings about themselves."
As experts speculated on the number of leading models who would be
excluded if a ban was imposed, others voiced strong concern about the
industry's preoccupation with very thin female models.
Eleanor Laing, shadow minister for women, said: "I'm generally not in
favour of banning things, but I do think that anyone in the business
of promoting anything should do so in a responsible manner. There is
no doubt that many, many young girls look at the skinny supermodels
and try to make themselves look like that. This is not a matter for
local or national government, but I would call upon those who are
organising London fashion week to act responsibly."
Claude Moraes, Labour MEP for London, said the Spanish had been
typically progressive. He added: "We can't legislate, but some moral
pressure should be put on the industry given that body issues are now
so prevalent in the west, whether you're talking about women or men.
This ban came out of a climate of progressiveness in Spain. I would be
very happy if London followed Madrid. "
Steve Bloomfield, spokesman for the Eating Disorders Association, said
a ban would be "positive and useful", adding: "Where you have these
commercial pressures to provide unhealthily thin models, then the only
way to create a level playing field is through some sort of
legislation. I am absolutely certain that no amount of moral pressure
is going to be enough." Dee Doocey, Liberal Democrat culture
spokeswoman on the London assembly, previously ran an international
fashion company. "With eating disorders on the increase, it is
irresponsible to be glorifying an unnatural image that puts
impressionable girls' and women's health at risk," she said.
But Jo Elvin, editor of Glamour magazine, advised caution, saying "one
person's skinny is another's slender". She added: "Even Kate Moss does
not look to me like she is emaciated; she just looks naturally thin."
Hilary Riva, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, said it
had canvassed fashion week designers to find out which girls they
wanted on the catwalk. "The BFC does not comment on or interfere in
the aesthetic of a designer's show," she added.
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