Dangerous curves ahead? Elle magazine 'breaks fashion's last taboo'
March 29th 2010 18:14
In what is yet another installment to the never-ending skinny versus curvy debate, leading French fashion magazine Elle has featured a plus-size model on its cover, in the next issue which is due to hit newsstands this weekend. The magazine will also have a 32-page spread with cover girl Tara Lynn and three other plus-size models showcasing outfits designed for the bigger beauties among us. Naturally, the issue has reignited the debate, with fashion insiders on both sides of the fence: some who are applauding Elle's move, and others scoffing that it is merely a publicity stunt of (dare I say it... oh, go on then) plus sized proportions.
"It's a gimmick," said one Parisian fashion insider who did not want to be named. "Having one edition that you fill with big girls is like World Women's Day: one day a year is reserved for them and the rest of the time you go back to normal."
Others were not so dismissive. "It's almost unbelievable to see such a huge magazine cover a real plus-size woman," said well-known French fashion blogger Sakina of Saks and the City. "Along with Vogue dedicating a section to curvy women, it's the most shaking news I've seen," she said.
"The fashion industry is evolving, but slowly. Elle is considered as a magazine that steps out for women, so I want to believe this is not only a one-off. The famously Parisian chic is a fashion spirit, certainly not a weight or a body shape."
Designer Michael Kors agrees. At a recent conference held at Harvard University, he declared that he was sick of waif-like models that were like "an army of children" and that he was pleased to see a major shift finally taking place. "The fashion industry is starting to address real women again," Kors said. "The emphasis in fashion is shifting toward an emphasis on real women who are women, not girls.''
Whether Kors is being sincere or not, his words certainly make commercial sense: people around the world are getting heavier every year, and by targeting them in fashion campaigns, designers like Kors are sure to gain a lot of business. Designers like Karl Lagerfeld... perhaps not so much.
And while French women were once admired and envied for not getting fat, statistics show that obesity in France is on a similar upward trajectory as the rest of the world. The Guardian reports that, although France's females are not even close to being as large as those in the US and the UK, 42% of them are classified as being overweight or obese. As such, the call for larger women to be represented in regular fashion is getting louder by the day.
Click here to read the full story, and feel free to let me know what you think in the comments section below.
Model Tara Lynn, who is set to be French Elle's first ever bigger-bodied cover girl
"It's a gimmick," said one Parisian fashion insider who did not want to be named. "Having one edition that you fill with big girls is like World Women's Day: one day a year is reserved for them and the rest of the time you go back to normal."
Others were not so dismissive. "It's almost unbelievable to see such a huge magazine cover a real plus-size woman," said well-known French fashion blogger Sakina of Saks and the City. "Along with Vogue dedicating a section to curvy women, it's the most shaking news I've seen," she said.
"The fashion industry is evolving, but slowly. Elle is considered as a magazine that steps out for women, so I want to believe this is not only a one-off. The famously Parisian chic is a fashion spirit, certainly not a weight or a body shape."
Part of French Elle's 32-page feature
Designer Michael Kors agrees. At a recent conference held at Harvard University, he declared that he was sick of waif-like models that were like "an army of children" and that he was pleased to see a major shift finally taking place. "The fashion industry is starting to address real women again," Kors said. "The emphasis in fashion is shifting toward an emphasis on real women who are women, not girls.''
Whether Kors is being sincere or not, his words certainly make commercial sense: people around the world are getting heavier every year, and by targeting them in fashion campaigns, designers like Kors are sure to gain a lot of business. Designers like Karl Lagerfeld... perhaps not so much.
And while French women were once admired and envied for not getting fat, statistics show that obesity in France is on a similar upward trajectory as the rest of the world. The Guardian reports that, although France's females are not even close to being as large as those in the US and the UK, 42% of them are classified as being overweight or obese. As such, the call for larger women to be represented in regular fashion is getting louder by the day.
Click here to read the full story, and feel free to let me know what you think in the comments section below.
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Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
After all - isn't it generally accepted that the catwalks of the world are ruled by (in the main) gay male designers who are in love with non-descript clothes horses. The type of which allows their fashions to simply hang.
Funny - I thought designers were supposed to fit the fashion to the person not have the person fit the fashion.
Comment by Xenia Maria
Natural Beauty
Comment by Journeywoman
Great Hair Style Tips
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
Xenia, I agree that she is an attractive girl. I especially love her hair.
Interestingly, back in the late 1990s "plus sized" usually meant girls who were simply of a bigger size: taller, bigger boned, but still very fit. Now it tends to involve some fat rolls as well. These women look like they couldn't run 2km without being exhausted, and I wonder if that's actually a good thing.
Thanks for the comments - keep em coming!
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Journeywoman
Great Hair Style Tips
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
For the record, I'll never accept obesity as "normal" either. Just because something becomes the norm, doesn't mean that it's right.