Is Thin In?? Part II

“C’mon guys, you know it’s better to be skinny than to be fat”, says prominent fashion model Natalia Vodianova. With statements like this no wonder there are young women and some men starving themselves to look like them. Models are important to fashion because they are walking billboards for the designer. Image is everything in fashion without the models promoting their products in magazines or on the catwalk it be impossible for people to buy designer clothes or shoes. However the image of ultra thin models plague our mainstream media and there is no sign of stopping. I found alarming stats about models weight on Rader Post it states “The average U.S. woman is 5’4” and weighs 140 pounds. In contrast the average U.S. model who is 5’11” and weighs 117 pounds”.

I was recently reading an article by Catherine Pearson on Huffington Post about how models influence young girls on how they should look. She writes “According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, nearly 70 percent of girls in grades five through 12 said magazine images influence their ideals of a perfect body“. It is scary looking at these statistics because there are little girls that are influenced by looking at models that are very thin and they think that if you look like a model then you are picture perfect. Some people might believe that super thin models don’t affect women, but I have read so many stories about women developing eating disorders as a result of fashion industry endorsing anorexic models. One story I came across on Yahoo blog was written by Erica Strauss, and she reports a story about a young woman named Lillian Sharp that struggled with an eating disorder. Lillian Sharp wanted to look like models that she looked up to so she can be beautiful and thin like them. Strauss explains Lillian struggle she states, “During her senior year, she developed an eating disorder because she felt she needed to be thin like the models and celebrities she worshipped”. There are many girls like Lillian Sharp that want to look thin and beautiful.  Fashion advertisements are putting false sense of beauty into women heads and it is driving some to starve themselves. On the other hand some girls or women look up to the models who look like they have missed a month of food.                         

Lately there has been a scary trend on the rise called “Thinspiration” or “Thinspo” and it’s when women desire to look like those really thin models.  Thinspiration has been rapidly trending on various social networks such as Tumblr, Instagram, and upcoming Pinterest. They go to those sites to post pictures of anorexic models or themselves, and their goal is to promote no eating. I found on Tumblr a blog dedicated to Thinspo quotes and it’s pretty disturbing, one quotes says “Food is the hindrance to your success” .  Thinspiration is sick trend and I am happy that Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram is trying really hard to ban those anorexic pictures (via Fashionista). Although these social networks are trying to ban ‘Thinspiration’ it is proves a strong message about how the fashion industry has a stronghold on people’s perception on body image. Furthermore by fashion designers refusing to use “Regular” models it proves that they are trying to sell an unrealistic dream to women which pushes some to have eating disorders. 

Although thinspiration is a frightening view of how anorexic models affect the daily woman however there are some people who rather see normal women wear fabulous clothes and shoes. According to Reuters there was a survey conducted by Girl Scouts of The  USA asked young girls if they preferred real or models women to market to them. “Three quarters said they would be more likely to buy clothes that they see on real-size models than on women who are skinny“. Fashion designers want their clothes to be attention grabbing and extraordinary but what it is the harm in using normal women who actually buy your products.  Let’s be honest here the general population is not a size two or zero so why not use what is  the reality of our world. I like the truth of this quote I found on Washington Post  by Robin Givhan she claims “The fatter the general population, the thinner the idealized woman“.  It seems that fashion designers are living in their own perfect world where all women are skinny, pretty, and goddesses.           

The fashion world and designers have to realize that they need to step out the box and learn about the “Real” women of the world. Designers should make bigger sizes for models so they would not feel the pressure to be thin for fashion.  I agree with this blog on Boston Globe by Alan Wirzbicki about one huge solution to stopping the use of ultra thin models is pressuring the fashion designers to make bigger sample sizes. Wirzbicki argues “Note to the fashion industry: Do you know what causes eating disorders? Not eating. And do you know why models don’t eat? Because your sample sizes would make a broomstick look fat. Because you won’t hire them if they don’t take drastic measures to remain rail-thin. And if you don’t hire them, they have no job”. Designers should stop being LAZY and make bigger sizes !! 

In recent news the president Diane Von Furstenberg of CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) made new health guidelines for models stating that they have to be a certain weight in order to walk the runway.  Although this new rule is a good start to regulate anorexic models but it still let ultra thin models do fashion ads (Huffington Post). This trend of thin models will continue to be in. 

Edited May 4, 2012

Fashion Discussion: Is Thin In?

“There is a breed of fashion models who weigh no more than an abridged dictionary“, Dave Barry. Fashion designers and models go hand and hand. The fashion designer makes the clothes and shoes; the models are the physical presentation of their products. Models are important part of fashion, young women look up to them and men desire them. Fashion designers need them because they show off their clothes and shoes. In the beginning of fashion the designers used models that looked “Normal” and healthy models that advertised their clothes. In the eighties this is when the fashion industry started to use models that were gauntly thin to promote their clothes. Certain designers like Calvin Klein were known for using really thin models to advertise his clothing which became the norm in fashion(BusinessInsider). I found a interesting stats about modeling then and now on ABCNEWS news writer Edward Lovett he states “Twenty years ago, the average fashion model weighed 8 percent less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23 percent less”. Til this day we still see models that look they have not eaten in two or three weeks and it seems like we will continue to see this. I understand there are naturally thin women, but when you see fashion models with sunken in faces and ribs sticking out where do they draw the line? 

 

One of the biggest issues is the models being too thin because it is the fashion  industry fault for not montoiring a positive image for the general public. Furthermore fashion designers want their models to be live mannequins without realizing that they are putting out negative images for women. Why are women with unrealistic bodies being advertising to the young women of the world?  Every fashion designer wants hot models to wear their clothes and look like they are perfect. However having stick thin models are not the way to go.

On Celebrity Health Fitness, a popular Canadian model Coco Rocha was interviewed about models weight issues within the industry, and she was explaining how she felt the pressure to be thin for fashion. “I felt pressure early in my career, I was told: the look this look this year is anorexic. We don’t want you to be anorexic , just look like it” explained Coco Rocha. “Smh”, I was reading another interview from a well known model Abbey Lee Kershaw and she shared the same sentiments of being trying to be thin. “That’s like asking a bodybuilder how they feel about the pressures to be incredibly muscly. An elite performer is always put under some sort of extreme pressure that the rest of society can argue, might not quite understand“, (Fashionologie). Sometimes some models will go to the extreme to please fashion designers. For instance a young European model named Igna Radziejewski starved herself to get jobs, and she was still consider too fat. On Celebrity Health Fitness they interview Igna Radziejewski and get her insight on being thin for fashion. “The 5-foot, 11-inch tall model starved herself down to a skeletal 98 pounds and a size 00, yet she says she was still turned down for modeling jobs because she was considered too fat” the author states. The standard for models weight is ridculous! It is a shame that a size 00 is too fat.  

I know that a fashion designer wants his or her clothes or shoes to look out of this world but using models that look like they are going to fall out isn’t right. It seems like the famous designers is making a silent and strong message that only skinny models should wear their clothes in order to look presentable. Even though the image of those models are still ever present to this day, but young women should not be phased by what they see. I love this quote by Rihanna that I found on a popular website called Dimewars she says “You shouldn’t be pressured into trying to be thin by the fashion industry, because they only want models that are like human mannequins. They know that if we see an outfit on a mannequin in a shop window we will love it and want to buy it whatever size we are. That’s why they have size zero models – they want to sell clothes “.  Thin models seem like they would be around for a while until some brave soul decides to go against the grain and use average models. Until then thin models seem like they are here to stay.

Edited May 4, 2012

Who Will Take Over Christian Dior

In the fashion world one of the biggest topics of the this year is who is going to take over Christian Dior since John Galliano (Designer) has been dismissed. On February 25, 2011 John Galliano was fired as a result of his arrest on the charges of saying vulgar anti-semitic remarks in a Paris bar. He had to attend rehab for his crude words, and also he lost the privilege to design his own fashion line (Guardian UK).  Some designers, celebrities, and bloggers were disappointed that John Galliano basically tarnish his whole fashion career over ignorant remarks, because he one is of the best in the business. Natalie Portman the Oscar-winning actress, and the face of Christian Dior “Miss Cherie” perfume released a statement saying, “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today” ( Telegraph UK)  Another disappointed fashion giant, celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe commented on John Galliano, she says ““It’s a little insane and super-sad. Anti-Semitism, racism or any prejudice is not something I tolerate“. CeleBitchy Some big industry people shared the same opinion on John Galliano’s incident and thought by him being fired was a good punishment. A year has passed and we have yet to see a creative director take over Christian Dior. Honestly Christian Dior has not been the same since Galliano left. Since Galliano is gone, Christian Dior fashion shows lack the creativity and theatrics that Galliano bought.

Can someone cue “Rumor Has It” by Adele because all we hear is rumors about who is going to be the next designer. At first the biggest rumor was Riccardo Tisci the designer of Givenchy (Who I absolutely I adore) was going to leave Givenchy for Christian Dior which made me kinda mad. Then my anger subsided when I read an author from AP disagree with that rumor stating “Naysayers, though, note that Tisci has done little to boost sales at Givenchy, which is also owned by Dior parent company LVMH Möet Hennessy, and suggest that Dior, as the group’s moneymaking locomotive, might be looking for someone with a more proven sales record” ( Fashionetc ). Literally I have read so many stories on who can be the potential creative director, but so far no one really wants to.

 In all honesty I would love to see John Galliano to take back his position because he is sooooo creative and made Dior the way it is today. It has been a year now and I am pretty sure he has learned his lesson, and I would like for him to have another chance. I can not see other designers taking over.

Fashion News: Animal Rights Activist Hire Hit Man

It’s the winter time, you know that’s means let’s bring out the FUR coats?! Wait no, it is not that cold out here in the Bay Area, but probably on the East coast they need a warm fur coat to fight the blistering cold. Fur coats are a must have accessory in the winter however some people hate that they exist. Fur coats has been part of fashion since forever and various animal rights  groups has try to stop designers from making them. Animal rights activist has done some crazy protests against fashion designers that use fur as an example crashing catwalks or throwing red paint on people who wear fur coats. Yet the protest against fur wearers has taken an absurd and almost murderous turn.  

Animal rights activists occasionally go to the extreme to protest against people who wear fur or the mistreatment of animals. Meredith Marie Lowell a 27-year-old animal right activist from Cleveland, Ohio attempted to hire a hit man over Facebook. Here’s the big shocker she wanted someone to kill random people who wears fur, but they had to be people who looked over the age fourteen. Meredith Lowell has been known to be overly passionate about animals being protected, and she once stated that she wanted to liberate lab rats like how the Holocaust survivors were freed. Immediately the FBI caught wind of Meredith’s murder for hire plan and they had an agent pose as an interested hit man.  This lunatic wanted the hit man to make sure that they were killed under two minutes and here is the “Humanity” only people that she knows can not be killed. Also she wanted the hit man to either shoot or slit the fur wearers throat and she had to be there when the killing happens. The killings had to happen outside of a library near a playground which happens to be close to her home, and she wanted to give out flyers about the fur industry while the killings are taking place. What a bright idea (sarcastic tone)?  When Meredith was emailing the “Hit-man”  she offered $850 for the job,  but later she explains that she did not have the $850 to give however she would’ve pay $100 and jewelry for the job. This investigation has been going for months and on Wednesday February 22,2012 Meredith Lowell was arrested at home on the charges of solicitation to commit murder. – via Jezebel,CBSNews

A lot of fashion and gossip blogs are scratching their heads on the insanity of this story. On OhHellNawl comic blog the author Slausosaurus Rex shared my confusion and semi anger. Rex stated “This chick looks a few snap and krackles short of a rice crispie bowl…Put her, PETA and all their lil pals on a boat and ship em off into the pacific….. then nuke that ish“. Hopefully this shows other animal rights activist to not to take it this far to protest against people who wear fur. Violence is never the answer, keep it classy people.