Super Models Criticized: Weighty Politics

Fashion's Starved Look

In the past couple years, a debate over the questionable healthy weight of models has grown more and more heated as restrictions and opinions rise. Spain made the first stride against incredibly thin models by banning models from the runway who have a BMI (height to weight ratio) below 18 during Madrid's fashion week. A British Cabinet member admitted to wanting to see a similar action in the UK, however the British Fashion Council said they would not "comment or interfere in the aesthetic of any designer's show." Many people though, feel that harsh restrictions on healthy weights of models is the best way to prevent another model from dying due to an eating disorder which was the case with Luisel Ramos . Ramos was a runway model in Uruguay but died in 2006 because of heart failure caused by anorexia nervosa. Her BMI was reportedly 14.5 at the time of her death, when the World Health Organization would regard anything around even a 16 to be considered starvation. Understandably, this caused a wave of grief over the entire fashion world, while also concerning many about what should be done to prevent an instance such as that from ever happening again. On the other hand, countless models (or non-modeling individuals)who claim to have a naturally slender figure feel discriminated against by these stern restrictions. Cathy Gould , from Elite model agency in New work, commented on the restrictions by stating, “I think it’s outrageous, I understand they want to set this tone of healthy beautiful women, but what about discrimination against the model and what about the freedom of the designer?”

Monday, March 30, 2009

Weighty Politics

The recent ban of super thin models is taking a strong political turn. In the beginning, many designers and model agencies were skeptical if the ban of models with a BMI below eighteen would be taken seriously but it has been strongly enforced. Prominent lobbyists for the ban said, “"If they don't go along with it the next step is to seek legislation, just like with tobacco," which some might see as a very intense and unrealistic comparison. The mayor of Milan, Italy also seemed interested in a ban like this for her city’s fashion week as a solution to “sick” looking models on the runways in Italy.