Thin Models: A Healthy Alternative?

Several fashion designers, including Micheal Kors and Diane von Furstenberg, have signed a petition from the Council of Fashion Designers of America that has made recommendations similar to the following:

Models with an eating disorder should be encouraged to seek help; those seeking help cannot model without the recommendation from their counselor.

No models under the age of 16 should be hired for the runway shows; they should be provided with regular meals and nutrition advice.

If you click on the above link you will see the rest of the recommendations. Curiously, I saw none regarding weight. The Wall Street Journal ran an article on Friday, The Skinny-Model Debate: Is a Petition Enough?

One tell-tale sign of severe malnutrition is a blotchy mosaic of mineral deposits under the skin. At runway shows, this is visible on some models’ arms and legs from as far back as the third row. A fashion photographer told me recently that they use special software to digitize this effect out of photographs.

The article provides a simple solution to the problem of anorexic models: put the onus on fashion designers and force them to create sample designs in larger sizes.

Click here for my other post on the topic: Pretty Model, Pretty Dead

Image from the Wall Street Journal