It was reported today that a Brazilian model named Ana Carolina Reston died earlier this week from an infection related to anorexia. The 5’8” 21 year old weighed a mere 88 lbs, and had previously suffered from bulimia as well.
Then there’s Luisel Ramos, the 22 year old Uruguayan model who was told by industry insiders that she could make it big if she just lost a few pounds. In August, she collapsed and died minutes after stepping off of a runway from heart failure. She hadn’t eaten in two weeks and three months prior to that had been surviving on Diet Coke and lettuce.
The idea of starving oneself to some seems insane or stupid or pathetic, but to others, it can seem desirable. It all depends on perspective. If you’re a young model trying to be the next Kate Moss, being thin is a professional necessity. Sample sizes that models normally work with are minute, yes, but it is also imperative to recognize the impact thinness makes on a runway. The reason super-skinny women make it big is because they are like hangers with legs – no meat, just bones – the perfect way to display clothes.
While I agree that models need to wake up and maybe even go to Peter Lugers for once in their lives, they are not the only ones who need to make changes. Have you ever tried on a suit or dress from Armani, Chanel, Moschino or Dolce & Gabbana? My normally size 2 or 4 frame fits into an 8 or 10 when meddling with that level of fashion – but I know I don’t need to drop a few.
In his spring 2007 show, John Galliano put on the runway a non-waif weighing over 110 lbs, styled and coiffed beautifully. Known for his outlandish design concepts, Galliano once again shook up the fashion world with this anti-fashion statement.
Although bold and outrageous, I choose to see this as one small step in the direction of normalcy on the runway, if normal means not having to die for you job, that is.