Size Zero Models

London Fashion Week ignited further controversy last week after refusing to ban 'size zero' models at their shows later this month.

The deaths of models: Uruguayan Luisel Ramos, who died of heart failure after eating nothing for days, and Brazilian Ana Carolina Reston, of anorexia, highlight this issue.

Firstly, the British Fashion Council are weak for not attempting to regulate the size of models employed by designers, claiming that such rules are not enforceable. They are putting too much faith in the designers themselves and their 'apparent' consciences.

London Fashion Week, with sponsors including Topshop, infectiously seeks, and more alarmingly influences, its prey with their dazzling seasonal collections whilst allowing them to cry with inadequacy of 'size zero' models-equal to a UK 4. Are they not shifting the nation so that women, in particular, must tailor their shapes to fit the designs, opposed to the designers catering for (and representing) us?

Such representation needs to extend from the catwalks and into the high-street stores. The average mannequin is a size 10, alarmingly smaller than the UK average woman, size 16. Not only can these inanimate figures project low self esteem onto shoppers but put pressure on customers to fit the ironically 'large' expectations designers have of us to be smaller than we naturally are. More stores, including Asda, are introducing UK size 4 garments, typically having a 22 inch waist measurement, the average size of an eight year old girl.

The designers need to open their eyes and firmly accept a high level of responsibility, if not fault, that their actions can be considered to directly affect young people in Britain and possibly highly contribute to the level of eating disorders in the UK. Their association, perhaps linked with praise, with underweight 'role' models reaching virtually all media outlets including 'pro-anorexia' websites.

Despite eye-opening efforts by Gaultier who strutted a size 20 model, Velvet, down the catwalk last October, (supposedly showing universal beauty, but can be considered to mock the whole debate if no long-term use of 'healthy' models are used) there have been more attacks on the fashion industry and their use of skeletal clothes horses, but the British Fashion Council decided against the adoption of banning models from the catwalk if they possess a BMI (Body Mass Index) of under 18.5, unlike Madrid. However, the use of models under 16 is prohibited.

CBB and the race scandal

What's going on?In 2007 it takes a reality television show full of 'celebrities' (but that's another blog) to bring the issue of racism into the forefront of people's priorities, that need to be considered and addressed.I don't know what to think. Days before 'that' BB episode I was defending Jade to friends. They view her as a girl that caught her break 5 years ago by just being utterly stupid. So stupid you wonder whether she's just manipulative and cunningly exploitive. But I stood by her. She's got the initiative to use what 'beginners' fame was given to her and has doubled her success time and time again. She's accomplished things that I could only dream of and her girl next door appeal is endearing, and reassures you that what egg life dishes out to you doesn't have to be just an egg but can become an omelette (ok bad analogy, but you get what I mean.) She's got perfumes, television shows, a beauty parlour, a family...
Ok, ok so you may think she is continuously selling her soul to the Devil who goes by the name of OK or occasionally Hello magazine to pay for all her business ventures and lavish lifestyle but no one can deny they're part of this media frenzy. If you don't make it, you're generating it or at least curious enough to scan the front cover when you're in a queue. Yeah. You know it.
So the big question, is there racism in the house? Well, there's definitely bullying and that is not acceptable- 3 grown women resorting to playground antics to soothe their own self esteem. I'm not sure whether it's just nastiness that happened to be directed at an Asian women, and Jade's attempt at quick thinking an Indian name, Poppadom, was just lack of control on her part and unlucky that her only connontations of India is an old menu from her local takeway down the road. Was this just a bad situation that became a spin doctor's dream. Just an idea.
I think the excuse that Jade is actually mixed race (her father is black, therefore do not judge any books by their covers) is a poor one. Racism can be directed and received any which way. It's not simply white on black. Nothing is ever that clear cut.
In my opinion Davina was very tough on Jade last night. I'm not sure whether she was trying to redeem her status from the wounds left by critics on her BBC show by adapting a Paxman attitude and being a hard nose cow because she was lucky enough to get the exclusive. Her presenter role is not to continue breaking contestants by cutting with BB's steel edge, but to comfort and help guide the viewer around what happened with the contestant's assistance.
Think about it. Jade had an inkling from BB in the diary room what to expect but the scale and enormity of the situation was not discovered until the magnified silence of her exit. All she had was the well positioned 'commercial break' to be filled in with the impact she had created and I applaud her for her honesty, strength and courage throughout that interview. Even politicians have speechwriters and time to prepare themselves for such a grilling!
I hope that Shilpa can also follow her heart, and upon exit, not use this as a platform for herself, but to reassure her family and her country that the issue between herself and Jade (that just happened to be televised) has been resolved and there is no further problem that needs to be publicised.
It is Danielle who is the troublemaker. She seems to ignite the situation and then back down to avoid the blame, only to suck up to Shilpa to save her own rear. That is a low trickand not one that the public is going to miss, because this time we know it is for her own benefit. When Jade apologised it was genuine. Ok, perhaps her livelihood was flashing past her eyes, but she genuinely seemed upset and wanted to explain herself and be real; heart on her sleeve.I await to see how the media treats her and how she handles herself, but something tells me this will not be settled until Shilpa's time is up.
p.s Used to actually love SClub- Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo, Jo... not very nice are you?!