Fashion industry experts are concerned about the trend of returning to “extremely thin models.” Fashion designers are demonstrating a reverse trend towards inclusivity: in the last 208 shows, 95% of the images were presented by “size zero” women (40-42 according to GOST), The Guardian reports.
“We face a worrying return to the use of extremely thin models” with “a plateau in size inclusion efforts in New York, London, Milan and Paris.” – says a report from Vogue Business experts.
In the same 208 shows, only 0.8% of the looks were shown by plus-size models (from size 52), in the Milan shows, 98% of all looks were aimed at thin models and Medium-sized clothing (M, or size 46-48) was displayed by brands that made clothing for both men and women, and the models displayed in these images were predominantly muscular men.
Extremely thin models have always dominated the catwalks, but in recent years designers have tried to show a wider range of clothes that suit different body types. In 2000, Chanel’s headliner was the model. Jill Kortlevwho became the first casting model with a larger size 42 in a decade.
“It seems we have taken 10 steps back” – notes the founder of the Milk Management modeling agency Anna Shillinglaw.
According to her, some high-end designers saw curvy women more as a fashion trend than something real. At the same time, he states that the average clothing size in the United Kingdom is UK 16 (Russian size 50-52).
This season, Chanel included several medium and plus-size models, but other luxury brands did not. Only new designers showed a variety of body types in their collections.
London casting director Chloe Roselek He said the exclusion of larger bodies by major brands was baffling.
“It’s very strange to pretend that a whole group of people doesn’t exist.” – he explained.
With celebrities and influencers losing weight, even normal-sized models are under pressure and forced to lose inches.
“There is a decrease in sizes everywhere, including models that are already standard sizes. “A lot of models who used to be plus-size are now medium-size models.” – he added.
Kering, parent company of brands such as Gucci and Balenciaga, and LVMH, which includes Louis Vuitton and Dior, signed a “letter to protect the well-being of models” in 2017. The document provided for a ban on the use of models of size zero and smaller 16 years old in shows. This season in Milan, Miu Miu opened the show Rosa Kidman Urbana16 year old daughter Nicole Kidman AND Keith Urbanowhile several top models were under 21 years old and size zero, according to the fashion database Models.com.
“We have gone back to the way things were 10 years ago. Models simply have a purpose. They are not here to spread joy and cheer or sell anything. They became hangers again.” — summarized the former casting director James Scully.
As reported EADailyA year earlier, the legendary lingerie and cosmetics brand Victoria’s Secret announced its abandonment of the “feminist agenda” that the company had been deliberately promoting for the past two years. That “hypersexualized image” with brand “angels” with which the company’s products have always been associated will once again come to the fore.
Efforts to promote inclusivity and body positivity, as well as recruiting LGBT female footballers as brand ambassadors.*plus-size models and trans women, “received positive reviews from online critics, but never translated into sales.” Furthermore, since 2018, the company’s revenue has only decreased.
This year, the Victoria’s Secret parade once again featured the same “angels” that the company had been trying to get rid of since 2019.
*Extremist organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation.
