By: Ashley Calloway
For years the fashion industry has prided themselves on upholding a very strict criteria for their models. Designers such as Emilio Pucci, Chanel and Dior only work with models that are beautiful as well as a size zero. Due to the fashion industry’s obsession with size, models have been known to develop a series of eating disorders with the most common being anorexia. A study done by the Model Health Inquiry showed that around 40% of models suffer from an eating disorder (medicalnewstoday.com). As models try to disguise their sickness by drinking large amounts of water, it is not unknown that these young women are endangering their health for the sake of the catwalk.
One would think that the industry would want to address this issue, but they are the ones imposing this size zero body image. It took the courage of photographer Oliviero Toscani and the Italian fashion line Nolita to initiate the debate on anorexia in the fashion world. Their campaign focused on anorexic model Isabelle Caro, whose sickness has gone beyond her. The photo shows the reality and danger of anorexia and promotes social awareness. Although risky, I feel that this campaign is groundbreaking because people within the industry are addressing the problem. Some critics feel that the campaign would actually encourage aspiring models to copy the image presented on the billboard (cnn.com/Europe). But due to the severity of the campaign, very skinny models were actually banned from the Madrid and Milan Fashion Weeks; this is an impactful statement in itself, inspiring models to remain healthy. I feel that this campaign was very effective in clearly displaying its message as well as served as an eye opener for thousands of people and the models themselves. This is a very progressive first step to fighting the battle against anorexia in fashion.
(Sources: CNN Europe http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/09/26/anorexia.model/, Medical News Today http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/76241.php)
12 comments:
It is important that the campaign continues. It will expose the dangers of anorexia in the fashion world. I think there should be weight regulations for models. Anorexia is not healthy and the root of the girls' sickness is to be a model. the campaign will spark and bring to light this issue. If more designers change the type of models they want, it will change the fashion industry.
shanika simmons
I thought your presentation was really insightful. I knew that many models were underweight and sickly but I had no idea how prevalent it was. The models in your presentation look malnourished and weak. That is not beauty and that should not be the standard that aspiring models should try to meet.
The fashion industry needs to change for the sake of the models and the young women who look up to them. Great job
I feel this campaign was the first of many steps that the fashion industry will need to take to handle the issue of anorexia. The campaign was successful in calling attention to the problem and I do not feel that it will cause aspring models to become anorexic.
BriElla Nelson
This campaign is needed should be carried out effectively. If designers would quit stressing the need for their models to be a size zero, there would be no issue at hand today. Girls stress their weight so much because of what the media portrays and what they see as acceptable and beautiful. This may be beautiful to other people,but the ones who are affected by it do not look at how they are hurting themselves along with their health.
-Shaunte F.
I completely agree. I am shocked and I can't believe that everyone in the fashion industry isn't in full support. Everyone should be in full support of this issue. One of the student suggested that those girls who are easily impacted by this ad are just some of the short term affects. In the long-run, I think this will have a tremendous affect in the this issue. Oliviero Toscani and Nolita are doing an amazing job.
I agree that anorexia is a very visual problem in the model/fashion indusrty and there needs to be something done about it. As long as designers encourage ans accept this type of behavior then the problem will continue. Whatever bar the designers set, models will rise to the occasion and possibly go above and beyond to do so. I do think the recent campaign led by the desinger has made this problem public and shed some light on it, showing his disagreement as well. I think that it will take more than just one designer to really get the point across and to actually begin to accept models for sizes bigger than zero. This will not happen over night, but with more efforts it can happen sooner than later.
-Marishonta Wilkerson
I agree that it is quite important for models to be healthy. There are too many people who look up to these women and being a size zero is not a normal size to look towards. If you are naturally skinny, thats one thing, but if you are literally startving yourself or throwing up your last meal because you want to be a size zero? Now that is ridiculous. I feel that a ban on unhealthy models is a good idea. Maybe more people will take care of themselves and new models will promote a better picture for aspiring models!
-NIa Newton
This is a very important argument to bring up, due to its relevance in today's society. Too many young girls today stress about their weight and find unhealthy alternatives in order to lose the weight. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I hope that things in society soon change.
-CW
This was a grest topic! I truly admire the campaign that addressed the anorexia in the fashion world because it is something that needed to be addressed. The idea of a woman having to be a size zero to be considered beautiful is CRAZY and it has had a great effect on young girls and women. Lt's face it, the average woman is definitely not a size zero. All women are beautiful no matter their size and that should be displayed in fashion and the media.
-Ashley R. Jones
I agree with the campaign whole-heartedly. Your argument opened my eyes to the issue of anorexia. I did not understand how intense it was in the fashion industry. I knew that the women were unhealthy looking, but it never dawned on me how horrible it was. We can have bigger models to add diversity and allow viewers to let go of that idea that being skinny is the way to the catwalk. Great topic.
Sascha
I couldn't agree more, I'm tired of always seeing this girl who looks like she's never eaten a day in her life in fashion magazines and shows. They have to realize that young girls who aspire to be models look up to them and strive to emulate them. Which means these girls will go to any means necessary to achieve what they believe is an acceptable image in the fashion world. Anorexia is a serious issue and it should be addressed as such.
I applaud this line for fighting against anorexia. The eating disorder epidemic is plaguing women internationally, not just aspiring models. It is difficult for health organizations to fight the portrayal of what is beautiful from the outside. This is why it is important for people inside the fashion industry to tackle the problem internally; they already have the resources and relationships to make an impact.
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