A Weighty Issue

The fashion industry's standards on weight have always been perceived as harsh and unfair to mainstream society. The typically skeletal standards are positively alarming to the everyday woman with regular boobs and hips. What is not usually touched on, however, is how these standards effect the models themselves.

Curves were once embraced by the fashion industry, allowing a generation of models to become "supers" because of their womanly beauty and staying power. Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista are who they are today because they were allowed to grow into women in the fashion industry, read: grow boobs and a butt.

Today, standards have changed. Models rarely make it past the age of 25 in the industry now because the appearance of womanly curves earns girls a one way ticket on the "fat" train to Nowheresville. Coco Rocha is just another recent example of this. Many former fashion-darlings before her have been pushed out of the industry because of these impossible standards.

Gemma Ward, an Australian model whom you may recognize by face before name, recently befell a similar, possibly worse, fate than Coco. Gemma, known for her "alien doll" face, was the youngest model to ever appear on the cover of Vogue at 16. She was also listed by Forbes as the 11th highest-paid model in 2008. Yet, she quit modeling in November this year. Why? Because some pictures surfaced of Gemma sporting a fuller figure than the industry remembered her for and they lashed out on blogs. Gemma had also been dealing with grief over the death of Heath Ledger, whom she was reportedly dating at the time of his death.

Dutch model Lara Stone has also struggled with weight, being known as a token "curvier" model in the industry, usually only booking gigs when they called for curves. Lara was featured in a Vogue article recently discussing the troubles she has had being called "fat" by stylists who are used to fitting size 00's when going to castings. Lara has been lucky of late. Something about her has caught the industry's eye and she has been popping up more and more. However, the recent victory does not seem to have come without a lot of struggle.

Coco Rocha has been everywhere the past 2 years. She was shot to modeling fame after opening the Jean Paul Gaultier couture show a few years ago doing an Irish jig (She grew up Irish dancing). She was even kept exclusively under wraps by Vogue, not allowed to shoot anything else, until an issue was released with her sporting new red locks a year ago... and now she's not being booked for any shows? It's ridiculous. [PS- I follow Coco on facebook and she seems to be a very intelligent, funny girl!]

Following in Coco's footsteps in American model Karlie Kloss, now just 17. If you are familiar with Vogue, you know that she has a rising star, frequently appearing in their editorials and ads. But are her days numbered? When she turns 18 and the butt appears, will she turn into a has-been like Gemma?

If these models, among the top in the industry today, cannot comply with the industry's skewed views, something must be wrong. There is a difference between becoming a woman and getting fat. Should the industry really end a girl's career just as it is beginning? Can we allow ourselves a new generation of "supers"? I'd like to see it.

Mandy

Creative Director

J. LaMore