Ninety of the 247 brands from the spring/summer 2023 ready-to-wear season,held in September in New York,London,Milan and Paris,included plus-size models according tofashion search engine Tag walk. In most cases,this was one woman with curves in a sea of sample-sized models.
Bella Hadid’s spray-on dress stunt at the Coperni show at Paris Fashion Week went viral.Credit:Youtube:iDest
Thin models were able to showcase the celebration of Y2K and ’90s-inspired designs,with low-slung pants at Alexander McQueen,abdominal cut-outs at Miu Miu and hip-revealing dresses at Bally. The most viewed look from Paris Fashion Week was model Bella Hadid at Coperni having a dress sprayed onto her thin,nearly naked,form.
“Not everyone feels as though they can engage with these trends,especially when they are not being created in larger sizes,” says Alex Cowen,communications manager for theButterfly Foundation,a not-for-profit organisation that offers support for people who suffer eating disorders as well as educating professionals,teachers and parents. “To have the narrative that your body needs to be pushed towards a certain version is concerning. It’s a massive step backwards.”
“The Butterfly Foundation is nearly 20 years old,and it’s not a stretch to say that the trends of the ’90s and ’00s played a part in it being established.”
“We have more schools seeking our services than ever. After the lockdowns there was a lot of discussion about people’s dissatisfaction with their appearance,” Cowen says,referring to conversations about so-called “COVID-kilos”. “These trends coming out at this time seem to be capitalising on these concerns.”
Model Sarah Kelly appears in The Curve Edit show at Australian Fashion Week in May,wearing an outfit from Harlow.Credit:Getty
Plus-size Australian model Sarah Kelly appeared in the first plus-size show at Australian Fashion Week in May and is hopeful the local industry will continue to move towards body diversity.
“It’s still changing and moving forward,but it’s worrying when people like Kim Kardashian,who had all the curves lose so much weight,” Kelly says.
“Today I’ve been looking for low-rise jeans designed for plus-size women,and I’m struggling. But I think people won’t accept it for much longer. If it’s not out there we will do it for ourselves. We are all over social media.”
The presence of Kelly in the fashion industry and visibility of greater body diversity on social media is reassuring,but Adams says that it’s not enough.
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“If you’re interested in body diversity on social media,you will see it but if you’re fixating on unhealthy bodies,you will only see that,” Adams says.
“We need to address this thin ideal. The ’90s called,and it’s telling us to snap out if it.”
If you,or anyone you know is experiencing an eating disorder,you can call the Butterfly Foundation National Helpline on 1800 33 4673,e-mailsupport@butterfly.org.au or chat online viabutterfly.org.au
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