Sizeism and the warped ethics of the fashion industry...

Model Cara Delevingne, who has been making a name for herself as one of the world's next supermodels, recently claimed that she was threatened to be dropped from modelling gigs unless she lost weight. You would be surprised to know that Cara is way thinner than the average sized woman. And that too by a huge margin. Sadly, the fashion industry's obsession with size zero models continues. In fact, the industry has done little to shed its unhealthy stigma.

“Size zero” became front-page news way back in September 2006 when model Luisel Ramos collapsed after Uruguay’s Fashion Week. She later died from heart failure. News emerged that she had survived on Diet Coke and lettuce leaves to lose weight as she readied for the show. Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston too, died from the pressures of being expected to stay slim. But these deaths seem to have barely fazed the industry that still uses severely emaciated young girls.

Size 0 is a women's clothing size in the US catalog sizes system equivalent to a UK size 4 or a Europe size 32-34. It is also a concept within the fashion media relating to models with low body mass, and has been linked to anorexia nervosa and bulimia as many women have to lose a large amount of weight to become so thin.

This thin obsessed culture perpetuated by the fashion industry has led many to sink to a new low in their quest to attain the perfect size - starving models have been known to eat tissues and resort to surgery when dieting isn't enough. Passing out several times a day has become their norm. Not all stick thin models are anorexic, sick or have body image issues. Some women are naturally the size of "ideal" cat walkers, and as much as overweight individuals should never be discriminated against because of their size, neither should people who are naturally thin.

In the recent past, a few fashion publications have featured body diversity, such as Cosmo Australia, which featured plus size model Robyn Lawley in their swim shoot spread. A noble move? Not really. Especially taking into consideration what constitutes as “plus size” in the world of fashion.

The concerns ensue when the industry hires, casts and publishes images of models who fit the size zero requirement. This is further enabled by designers whose samples are made to measure based on their “production fit model” or live mannequin, who is also a size zero. Magazines in turn are unable to feature 'plus size models' because designers don’t have clothing made to fit them. So there is no doubt that it is ultimately in the hands of designers to bring about a change to this appalling trend.

Unfortunately, size zero isn't just a problem faced by models. Top model Kate Moss’ size zero glorifying slogan “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” dealt a huge blow to vulnerable young women looking at themselves in the mirror and seeing their “fat” reflection staring back at them. With such negative influences in their lives, it is not surprising that an alarming number of impressionable young girls - some as young as six - are insecure about their own body image. Obsessed with being thin, they are engaging in dangerously unhealthy methods to lose weight from weight loss supplements, starvation and excessive exercise to a cycle of binging and purging.

The sad thing is, the industry preys on young women's self image and bullies them into believing that the skinnier they are, the more beautiful they are and the more successful they will be. Women are mercilessly categorised, judged and marginalised by constantly emerging body trends as it is. Allowing these entities to police womens bodies and tell them what's "ideal" needs to stop. All women - and men - should come together and say enough is enough. Why are fashion designers dictating what a woman's body should be like? They are the ones who want us to buy their clothes - so shouldn’t WE be telling THEM what's acceptable?

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Comments 

Rashida Ramzani

The fashion industry is a monster in our lawn and we feed the rules of sizeism to it and yet from the end result, only the industry is penalized for the output. It is society that criticize females on their body sizes adding pressure to young girls to maintain their figure or control their weight to a specific limit. I am 5'7 in height with a big bone structure and keeping my personal incidents in mind I can imagine the stress and pressure models have to go through to keep up with the standard body size in the fashion industry. If society accepts the variety of body sizes/ shapes then eventually all industries (fashion, performing Arts..etc) will accept it and not add pressure to adhere to a strict body type.

Navam Hapangama

Ideally, there really shouldn't be a set, standard size for the models in the fashion industry - fashion is supposed to encompass everyone. However, I believe when a designer creates their lines they have a certain body image in their mind, so I'd say its up to the discretion of the designer. Personally, I don't find the skinny, size zero physique as attractive as the curvier, glamour model physique. Curves FTW! As far as this affecting young girls goes, I think it is a problem that can be avoided easily if a culture of positive body image is nurtured at home as the child grows up. I have a younger sister who is eternally bombarded with society's views on the ideal body, be it friends, social media, or television, but she feels no pressure to conform because my mother always maintained a culture of positive body image while she grew up.

Anaz Ashraff

I think models should be models. Models are more than just a face, they also present an idea to people around them. This idea should not be limited to being a just size zero model. All models should be accepted as they are without having to be limited to just one size because each person has a way they can relate to a model not just a size zero. You do not have to be a size zero to be a model, even a plus size can be a model as long you have the confidence and stage presence to work it.

By Rihaab Mowlana