The famous model Twiggy stated that industry ‘should use different shapes and sizes’
The world of modelling entails a bunch of self-discipline in many aspects. From your apparels, hairstyles and weight should be paying close attention with, as they say.
The former model, Twiggy has expressed her opinions about the inclusivity of slim people in fashion and excludes the plus sizes. On the other hand, she doesn’t think the high fashion industry will ever “go completely away from slimness”.
Lesley Lawson, or also known as Twiggy, 70-year-old model opened up about her experience as a model and how fashion has changed over the years in an exclusive interview with the Guardian.
Lawson started her modeling career in the 1960s and her fame arose and earned international fame and recognition after posing on the covers of Vogue and Tatler.
How Lawson did picked her screen name? Lawson picked up the nickname Twiggy for her slim and petite figure and androgynous appearance
When asked if the fashion industry needs to change and focus more on different shapes and sizes Lawson, who has been associated with “extreme thinness” throughout her career, said that while she believes improvements are being made she doesn’t the use of thin models will ever change.
And according to her, “Well, it has, hasn’t it, there are so many more ads now. It’s the same with older models, they’re using middle-aged and older women in commercials,”
“I don’t think the high fashion industry will ever go completely away from slimness but I think other parts of the industry have started to use different shapes and sizes, and I think they should.”
The veteran model emphasized and strongly to point out that her clothing range for high street stalwart Marks & Spencer was designed for women who wear sizes eight to 22.
Before, she was vocal about her body image that made her more acclaimed. She also stated that while she was a “very, very skinny model”, and became her edge among the other models in the fashion industry.
“I ate. I always said I ate, and I looked like my dad who was very skinny, so I think that’s genetic. I think most models fall into that category: if you are 17 years old and you are 5-foot-11, the chances are you’re going to be thin,” she previously told Huffington Post.
“But we do know that there are girls pushed to not eating and to losing weight and that is not good because you have tragedies with girls being ill or even worse. There’s no doubt that there are some models who are too thin.”
Meanwhile in the year 2017, two of the most notable and high-end French fashion powerhouses joined forces to stop using size zero (UK size four) models on the runway. This has provoke the evolving rules of the fashion industry and breaking the stereotypes and norms.
Consequently, LVMH and Kering, who between them own Gucci, Saint Laurent, Vuitton and Dior, strongly pushed and approves “to ensure the wellbeing of models” and decided to have a total ban of underage models, specifically girls girls under the age of 16 for photoshoots or fashion shows where they’d be representing more than their age level.
Also in the year 2016, France also strongly pointed out the discouragement of the use of unhealthily slim models as part of a new law targeting “unrealistic body images” and eating disorders by asking models to provide a doctor’s certificate attesting to their overall health and proving their body mass index (BMI) sits within a healthy range in order to work.
