The Skinny on Thinspiration

Gabriel recently mentioned his disgust at how thin the models were at LFW and it hit me. Hard. I never really thought about the whole too-thin epidemic until I saw some disturbing evidence on the catwalk. It appears to me that as our society keeps getting larger our models are becoming thinner. That says alot, doesn't it?

Trying to see from a model's perspective I would think that being the boniest would make you stand out from the pack of wannabes. It would be almost a race to see who the thinnest backstage would be or who could throw up more. Sounds harsh but I do think this issue is more than skin deep. I've stumbled upon countless online journals of little girls who are anorexic. Taking inspiration from international models and aspiring to be 80 pounds.

Excerpts from teen blogss:

"I am not okay with being the girl with the pretty thin figure...nothing too great, nothing terrible. No, I want to be super skinny. Only then, will I be okay with my body image."

“Do I really look any different? I don't feel different besides not full of food. But I still feel fat and enormous and bulgy and huge. I don't know I don't feel bones and I am still round everywhere."

Heartbreaking, right? With all that time spent with body issues is there any time left for anything else. What's going to happen when these girls grow up and face the real world, paranoid about weight? To me we'll be having many issues in the future do to low-self esteem! I don't think the fashion industry is to blame, or let me rephrase. I don't think the fashion industry is solely responsible for this epidemic. There is media, parental misguidance and peer pressure involved. The fashion world cannot be the only industry or medium to be blamed.

Yasmeen Ghauri in the 90's & a model from today's runways

All of us in the industry know that models are simply hangers. Everyone else should understand this. Designers want their clothes to be in the spotlight not their models. Now that doesn't mean star models a la Naomi aren't coveted by designers, there are the exceptions who make a fashion show more press worthy. But as a whole, models are simply there to show off the dress.

It's more likely to find a girl who is not anorexic. If the majority of girls aren't anorexic then obviously there is something missing in the lives of the girls who are. This missing piece is self-respect. I think parents are responsible for taking the time out and appreciating their children and making sure they understand that they are beautiful and also give children other things to focus on.

I personally was never affected on a physical level by the fashion industry. I took fashion shows and editorial spreads to be a showcase of creativity and not "thinspiration." I think it really takes a lot of self confidence to say no to becoming a victim of this issue. It all starts from within with a little self-respect.