Scrutiny of Models Demands Reform

With little more than two weeks before Fall Fashion Week 2007 in New York City, the Council of Fashion Designers of America presented guidelines to help models care for their health. As reported by Robin Givhan of The Washington Post, models tend to be thin, some appearing unhealthy. In Europe, Madrid established a minimum body mass index for runway models, and Milan began development of a national effort to fight anorexia.

The Council of Fashion Designers, in response, has proposed educational workshops to alert designers to signs of eating disorders, so that overly thin models could be encouraged to seek help for their affliction. In addition, underage limitations and adjusted work schedules have been suggested for young models. Backstage use of alcohol and tobacco may eventually be prohibited by local authorities.

Because most designers require models to be thin, models lose weight to fit runway samples. To be hired in the fashion industry, models must be competitive. If designers and fashion editors insisted that models maintain weights proportional to their heights, models might be more inclined to eat properly to present a healthier image.

To read Robin Givhan's insightful article, go to www.washingtonpost.com/style for Friday, January 19, 2007.

WSR Returns to the NYC Fashion Tents in 2 Weeks...

TSE's Spring 2007 Collection

Start emailing us your questions now at washingtonstylereporter@gmail.com, because in 14 days Fashion Editor Diana Bland returns to Bryant Park's notorious last soiree for a week of backstage and runway mayhem in the Big Apple.