Health by law for models and catwalks |Lifestyle |THE WORLD
The model that did not let Louis Vuitton parade for being "too fat"
France will penalize the extreme thinness of the models from today
Models denounce that the industry presses them to lose weight
On August 2, 2006, a little over 11 years ago, Luisel Ramos, a 22 -year -old Uruguayan model, collapsed on top of a catwalk in Montevideo.Its body mass index (BMI, value that results from dividing the weight, expressed in kilos, between the height squared) was only 14,37.The World Health Organization (WHO) considers underweight if this value is below 18.5, and would involve severe thinness when it is less than 16.The next month the Madrid catwalk prevented parading to one in three models due to their extreme thinness (the chronicles say that the fashion weeks of Milan and London applauded this new measure).
A short time later another model, Ana Carolina Reston Macan, a 21 -year -old Brazilian, died from renal failure caused by the strict diet that followed and because of which her weight did not reach 40 kilos.It was then that all the alarms definitely jumped, and the main federations of the fashion world (London, New York, Paris and Milan) decided to act, although the measures that were taken were not as demanding as expected as expected.
It is true that Italy launched soon its 'Nazionale di Self -Gollamazione della Italian fashion contro l'Enoresia', where the responsibility of the industry was recognized when showing aesthetic canons that enhance the extreme thinness.In that document he promised to promote "a model of healthy, generous, mediterranean beauty" as a "tool for the prevention of eating disorders".
For many the solution seemed to be reduced to a mere issue of education."We believe that a regulation is neither desirable nor enforceable," said the British Fashion Council (BFC) in a statement (BFC).In the United Kingdom the answer was even contradictory.At first, models were forced to possess "a medical certificate (which cost 500 pounds) where their good health was accredited".From there it went to the opposite end and practically threw the towel in relation to this matter.At this point Hilary Riva, director of the BFC, acknowledged that there were "unsurpassed barriers" when introducing these documents that forbade the catwalks to British models that dressed the famous insane "zero size".
Some designers threatened to abandon the London Fashion Week if the aforementioned certificate and the Erin O'Connor supermodel were required to publicly point out the defects of this idea: "Ask all models that have a mandatory health certificate compromises their dignityand violates human rights ".Although, everything must be said, nobody worried about finding other legal options.
@Robertfife $ 600 million recipient Should not comment on how to act ethically!
— Marian Sat Nov 16 17:44:16 +0000 2019
"The problem is information, rather than regulation," Didier Grumbach corroborated, then president of the French Fashion Federation.At that time, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) also brought together an expert committee to analyze the convenience of imposing, or not, any limitation to parade.His conclusions pointed in the same line."It is not realistic to impose rules in the fashion industry".The phrase is attributed to the same Wintour.To all this other catwalks were added, such as those of Milan and New York, which showed no intention to adopt these measures.As Hilary Riva herself commented, "this will only work if an international solution is reached".
Interestingly, the first country that has been imposed on eating disorders has been Israel, a state that is not part of the main fashion capitals.There, since the beginning of 2013, the so -called 'Photoshop Law' has been working, which not only forces to identify the images retouched with the computer, but also prohibits parading and posing the models with an BMI of less than 18.5.Its promoter, the doctor and parliamentary Rachel Adatto, described this rule as "a mail for the anorexic beauty prototype that young people have copied so far".It is true that Israel only has 300 professional models, but marked the way for France, where only a declaration of good intentions had been achieved, it has also taken one step forward.
"In 2008 it was decided to legislate on this issue, but it was only possible to promote an ethical letter signed by the French fashion industry," says Olivier Véran, a neurologist and politician who has defended and participated in the drafting of the project of the new lawHealth gala.It is clear that the previous letter of good intentions, which served as a guide in the country, had few effects."The average weight continued to decrease.In addition, we discovered images where the models appeared so thin that it was necessary to edit the photos to hide the relief of the ribs, "he says.
As a consequence, France approved in January 2016 this new law, which entered into force just a few months ago.It raises, among other issues, a forceful fight against anorexia."People, even fashion consumers, want 'glamor', not deafness," says they see me dona.Since last May 1, this rule requires models to be in possession of a medical certificate, valid for two years, that guarantees that "the person's global health status (...) evaluated through your body mass index (BMI) allows you to exercise your activity as a model ".Likewise, as of October 1, this law will require that the advertising photos that have been retouched be identified.Failure to comply with the standard by those responsible for hiring (read magazines, agencies...) It can involve sentences of up to six months in prison and fines of 75.000 euros."The intense debate that accompanied the law in France opened the eyes of public opinion.The alleged anorexia chic was intolerable, "says they see.
Since then, the media are collecting opinions both for and against, such as the former Model Victoire Maçon Dauxerre or that of the Syndes National Des Agnces de Mannequins.The first, which suffered from Anorexia, is committed to continuous control of the health status of the models."It is absurd that the certificate is worth for two years," he says.
On the other hand, the Syndes National des agnces of Mannequins believes that with this new measure "only the models agencies are stigmatized, deliberately omitting involve the contractors" (that is, fashion firms or designers).To this they add that this legislation harms the models that by genetics have a low BMI, or to those others that, despite having a normal weight, suffer eating disorders.
"To be penalized for something that is a genetic standard is not fair either," says American nutritionist Joy Bauer, who was part of the committee that advised the CFD."Punishing a group to be more inclusive with another is definitely not the right way," he says.Of course, he believes that small steps are being taken in the right direction thanks to education: "The schools have taken a more productive position bringing the debate on the acceptance of the body and the distortion of this in the media".To this also binds that "some brands have embraced the idea that you do not have to have zero size to be beautiful", referring, among others, to Dove or the magazine 'Sports Illustrated'."We need diversity in size, shape, color, cultures," concludes the popular nutritionist.
In Spain this debate has not been as intense as in the rest of the countries.Surely because we soon realized that "it was not enough with good words and intentions", and that we had to prevent "this insane image to harm not only the models themselves, but also to the youth that its reference sees in it," he declaredIsabel Martínez, of the Association in Defense of Attention to Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa (ADANER), one of the institutions that participated in the conversations that concluded by making medical reviews to the models before they got on a catwalk.
This solution - as an example - has worked for the moment, as Martínez states, who does not believe the promulgation of a law in the style of the French, although, yes, it does not rule it out: "If it is the way, we mustdo it".Will we get to see it?
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