Two French fashion giants, LVMH and Kering, have pledged to ban size zero models as a response to industry criticism. Instances of poor working conditions and the use of underage and anorexic models have been endemic in the fashion industry for years. Following this, the luxury groups will introduce new rules ahead of Paris Fashion Week and say they'll guarantee the well-being of models. Fashion insiders have long said that clothes hang better on tall and androgynous women, but critics say the industry encourages eating disorders. Will such an initiative will help curb eating disorders among teens and young adults? Is this the way to go about it, or instead of a ban, should there simply be a greater inclusion of non-zero size model?
‘Beauty can't be defined by size’
Nachiket Barve, Fashion Designer
I am in favour of the move, as I believe this will solve unhealthy eating habits amongst models abroad. Abroad, models start at very young age and they do have to maintain a certain figure to fit into industry stereotypes for runway. In India, we don’t have sickening thin models, which is great. But as an industry we all should encourage better eating habits than get them to starve just to fit into a certain size. Beauty can’t be defined by a certain size even as fashion and film industry do promote such things in a way. But now things are changing for the better.
‘Our clothing looks better on women with some volume'’
Sreejith Jeevan, Fashion Designer
This is an ongoing debate, about size zero models. These fashion giants are banning size zero models to make a statement about why it’s not important to be size zero. Anything that comes into fashion becomes desirable and that makes a statement. I don’t think size zero should be banned, but at the same time, anybody who wants to walk the runway should be embraced. This is something that I think we are already doing in India. We are bringing in models of different body types.
It is not necessarily true that clothing only looks good on tall androgynous models especially in an Indian context. In fact, I have noticed that certain type of our clothing looks better on women with some volume. It not about size zero; it’s more about understanding your type and choosing accordingly.
‘I hope that this will inspire the entire industry’
Sucheta Sharma James, Supermodel
The fashion industry has long been accused of promoting unhealthy body images to women and ignoring well-documented health problems experienced by models. So, it’s a welcome step to help in curbing eating disorders in teens. People tend to believe that models are just hangers but be it model or a non-model, a fit person looks more attractive than a starved size zero person. You wear clothes to look good and a happy and healthy person will look good in anything that they wear.
‘Eating disorders are devastating to young girls’
Aviva Bidapa, senior marketing manager at Prasad Bidapa Associates
I believe in a healthy body type. When a girl’s natural body is curvy and she’s forced to starve herself to fit some designer’s fantasy of a stick figure, there’s something seriously wrong. We should ask these designers why their clothes don’t hang well on curvy figures. They must be doing something wrong, or they are just not talented enough, that’s pretty obvious.
On that note, I’m so happy that change has began. Eating disorders are devastating to young girls and leads to very serious mental health issues.
In India, most women are built like beautiful temple carvings, designers should study what makes us look good instead of blindly following the West in their tired old tropes. It is extremely easy for us to look at a girl and know if she’s naturally thin or if she is depriving herself. It’s that simple. Don’t do it. Love the skin you’re in and we will see that confidence as soon as you walk in the room.
‘The argument that clothes look better on a skinny frame is nonsense.’
Amit Ranjan, Supermodel
I strongly believe that size zero should be banned. The argument that clothes look better on a skinny frame is nonsense — it really depends on a silhouette. There are styles that are more flattering on a certain body frame and will just not work for the other. Also, the idea of beauty is evolving and is more inclusive now. There is a conscious effort by the designers to get more people of colour, ethnicities and varied body shapes on the ramp. There is a collective realisation that fashion is for real people and starved , unhealthy models are no longer an accepted fashion norm.
‘The ban for size zero models is too harsh’
Surya Ganapathy, Model
This ban again enforces the idea that one needs to not be in a particular way to hit the ramp. I think this move is ban for size zero models is too harsh. Indians, for example, are not built very tall and many women can’t enhance the beauty of ankle length dresses just with heels. So some designers may want taller women. If the designers have their own rules for their own shows, it is fine. Banning in general is forceful. Some women are built size zero and if they can’t enter the industry it denies them of their career opportunities. The rules imposed in the industry need to improve the quality of the shows, not shut the doors for many.
