The controversy surrounding Madrid's decision to ban models under a certain weight holds a lot weight for the future.
Spain has disallowed models to walk down the runway this year if their BMI (Body Mass Index) was lower than 18. The country wants to promote a healthier image of models to the young girls who idolize them.
London's Fashion Week has refused to follow suite, the organizers stating that it was a move that, not only violates the designers right to choose their models, but is also a place that they shouldn't be controlling.
But there is obviously a problem with underweight models shown by the death of Luisel Ramos last month. But it hasn't seemed to faze the industry that still uses girls severely underweight and sometimes sick-looking.
Not all models are Anorexic, sick and have body image problems. There are a small percentage of women who are the size of the "ideal" catwalkers, naturally. As much as overweight individuals should never be discriminated against because of their size, so too should people who are naturally thin not be excluded.
The problem arises when the industry that hires, casts and publishes the images of models will only use ones who fit into a size 0. Many designers are quoted as saying that they feel they have to follow the lead of the "thin" industry, otherwise they lose exposure. For example, most magazines will only hire women who fit into the lower sizes, so if a designer doesn't have samples for those models, they don't get into that phtoshoot.
How much of that is true, I don't know; I don't have enough knowledge of the modelling and magazine industry to be sure. But it does present the fact that there are many factors that contribute to the "ideal" body type we see on the runways. It's too simple to blame the fashion show organizers or designers because they don't dictate the whole machine.
But it is fair to demand that when they see young women dying, starving themselves and looking like death beneath their make up, like models Luisel Ramos and Ana Carolina Reston, who have both recently died, to stand up and speak their mind. Leesa Fogarty did, with much support from those in and out of the industry, but others need to take some responsibility, too. They have to make changes from within.
For those of us outside the fashion world, we can also do our small part. When companies or designers do make a positive statement, support them with letters to the media or the organization they are standing up to, spread the word about their actions and find out more about their clothing- maybe it's a line available in your area that can be purchased instead of a company who has no interest in developing a positive body image in its customers. There's always something we can do to affect change.
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