Is fashion ready to banish size zero?

Four industry insiders weigh in on the subject

At the age of 17, Victoire Dauxerre received what she then thought was the most gratifying compliment. Having spotted her in Paris, a casting agent encouraged her to plunge into modelling, remarking that she could be the next Claudia Schiffer. That was enough for Victoire, a fairly bright student, to give up studies and foray into the world of modelling. The days that followed would see her surviving on three apples every day and gulping a few cans of zero-calorie Pepsi to kill the hunger pangs. Although she began to command a popularity of her own in the modelling circuit, Victoire's eating disorders began to take an emotional and physical toll. Even as she sat with her family for dinner, she would eat to please her father and later consume laxatives to get rid of the food. Today, her struggles to 'fit in' form a part of her memoir Size Zero: My Life As A Disappearing Model that offers a peek into the ghastly manner in which agencies convince girls to be super skinny.
However, there's always light at the end of the tunnel. Recently, France put a ban on ultra skinny models by demanding that they produce a doctor's certificate "attesting to their overall physical health with special regard to their body mass index". A few years ago, the leading international fashion magazine Vogue had taken a stand against printing pictures of super skinny models. Some international fashion weeks are coming on board with the idea.
In the late '80s and early '90s, the supermodel era comprised of the likes of Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer, to name a few. The allure of being a supermodel at that time was a healthy glow and a fit body that represented the image of a confident, self-assured woman on the ramp. But change is the only constant in fashion. In the mid-90s, supermodel Kate Moss began to carve a niche for herself as the poster girl for what is now known as heroin chic. A somewhat cynical response to the more dynamic looks popularised by the likes of Crawford, Schiffer and company, heroin chic came to represent a look denoted a bony structure, pale skin, undereye circles complemented by bold lips. Even though widespread criticism and the rise of Gisele Bundchen and Heidi Klum - supermodels who brought the healthy and sexy woman back on the ramp - eventually put an RIP on heroin chic, the look keeps making a comeback every now and then with new caveats and different nomenclatures - size zero or super skinny look.
With some of the recent developments, is it safe to assume that the international fashion industry is ready to banish size zero? If only the answers were as simple. We put the question to four different players in the UAE's fashion fraternity - a designer, curator of one of the country's most coveted fashion events, a former beauty pageant winner and a model - and here are their perspectives.

Tamara Al Gabbani, designer
Tamara Al Gabbani is not new to the UAE's ever-vibrant, ever-changing fashion milieu. A regular at international red carpets, she knows exactly what it's like to be under scanner for one's physical appearance. No wonder then when she launched her own fashion line, she was clear about its ethos: happiness. "After all, a healthy girl is a happy girl."
Today, as a designer, Tamara's brand marries traditional opulence with contemporary minimalism and the perfect woman who embodies it is one who has a happy glow on her face, and not one who starves. "I feel the whole body positive movement has been long time coming. The fashion world does have a moral responsibility towards the health of these girls who work primarily to represent them. It's a trend that started in the mid-90s and things just got worse to a point where the girls were developing eating disorders."
While the image of a malnourished, emaciated model has, arguably,been linked to international ramps, Tamara points out that red carpets are where the impact can be felt. "I have seen women walking the international red carpet. They are so skinny that it is impossible to imagine how they are walking in the first place. It may look alright in front of the camera, but in real life, it's worrying. On another occasion, I met a girl, who was very obviously suffering from an eating disorder. Even as my heart broke for her, I knew I could not help her because, on most occasions, such girls are in denial about their health."
As a designer, Tamara's endorsement of a healthy model comes from a keen observation of global trends. "We are currently going through an alternative supermodel era. I mean look at the likes of Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner. They are not absolutely skinny, and the brands that are running after them, they have surely taken note of the fact that they don't need super skinny models to attract customers. It's the personality that has to be attractive."
Tamara adds that unlike Europe, the Middle East has always veered towards a healthier-looking woman. "The trend in Dubai is vibrant because girls from different backgrounds come here to try their hand in modelling, and that is positive because it gives a wide spectrum on how clothes look on different women. Women here are accepted in all shapes and sizes."

Marcela Danielova, fashion director, Fashion Forward Dubai
As the fashion director of Fashion Forward, one of the most anticipated fashion events in the city, Marcela Danielova has a challenging job at hand. One she makes simpler for herself and the models who engage with the event with her refusal to sugarcoat some hard truths about the industry. "There are two different categories of models - one for print and the other for catwalk. The reason why some brands prefer to work with relatively lean models is because the camera adds kilos to human bodies. Another reason skinnier frames do get preference is because the collection samples are created in those small sizes. Also, certain style of clothes may look too revealing on more voluptuous /curvy models and attract eyes in the wrong direction."
Marcela admits that the lure of fitting into a certain body image can also stem from a personal need to fit in. "Working as a model in this very big industry and going for five to six castings daily, you are being judged every half an hour. Someone will like one feature of your body, while not liking the other. If your personality hasn't developed, you don't have confidence - and sometimes even if you do - it can be really stressful and undermining. You cannot fit into everyone's description of the job." A former model in Paris, she recalls a time when she came to Paris and weighed 62 kilos. The agency that was managing her at the time put her on a diet. "But I did not panic; instead I began to eat healthy. I lost a lot of weight and was 55 kilos. But many of my friends would struggle with their weight because when you come for casting and are made to wear haute couture, say for instance a Chanel, those clothes are very small. Just a centimeter extra on your hips or bust and you can't fit in."
At Fashion Forward, Marcela says, proportion is more important than size. "We look for models - height 177-181 cms, 90 cms on hips, 85 cms on bust and 60 cms on waist approximately. And, of course, there are designers who prefer to have real women walk the ramp." When asked what advice she usually offers to models, Marcela says, "I tell them be natural, take care of your skin and hair, exercise, eat healthy food and be happy. What's important for model is a photogenic face, good posture and the right attitude. Catwalk models have to, of course, master their walk. Sometimes I see girls who have incredible potential but they haven't walked enough. I tell them just walk, and walk, in front of a mirror and you will get it.' Also, look at it as a business and don't take it too personally." Eating, she says, is not the problem. "At Fashion Forward, we provide catering for our models. We offer them lunch and dinner and it's a buffet catering. And I can tell you, there are no leftovers," she jokes.

Prachi Mishra, former Miss India Earth
Beauty pageants are a different ballgame as compared to fashion weeks. Traditionally, says the UAE-based former Miss India Earth Prachi Mishra, pageants have stayed away from both size zero and plus-size phenomena since the idea is to celebrate feminine beauty, though she recalls that during Miss India, the contestants were given a proper training on what to eat and what to avoid.
Today, Prachi owns a modelling agency in the UAE called Shock Talent Management and is responsible for mentoring many a young model. She has had to create a special plus size segment of models because "designers who are making abayas and gowns do not cater to women who are size 6". She says the real buyers are not necessarily super skinny people themselves, so when they see someone who looks like them, they are more keen to buy the outfits.
"If you have noticed, the mid-range, mass brands like Zara, River Island and H&M have got the pulse and entered the plus-size domain, whereas high-end brands like Chanel and Gucci are yet to do so because they cater to a premium clientele," she says. In making a super skinny model wear high couture, somewhere the body image that is presented through the clothes becomes aspirational in itself. "Yes, but if an outfit is meant for a lanky girl, perhaps then it suits the purpose. Personally, I have known friends in Los Angeles who have been rejected because they are not skinny enough. In fact, I have also seen models who keep smoking because they believe it cuts fat." She also points to the fact that as models age, they tend to go for extreme dieting to retain the leanness of their bodies. "It's an industry where younger girls always keep coming in. That can lead to some form of insecurity and lead to eating disorders." A negative outcome of this trend, according to Prachi, has been the fact that now even young girls, nine or 10-years-old, want to be skinny. "There are models who might be skinny but cannot run five kilometres. The youngsters need to understand the importance of fitness."
Prachi says the reason the skinny body type keeps making headlines every now and then is because women tend to enter modelling when they are 16 or 17 years old, an age when the body is usually lean. "But your target audience may not be that age. There is a huge segment of financially independent women who want to buy the outfits."
Today, Prachi's support of the body positive movement stems from the fact that it can change perception that thin = beautiful. "You need to love and own your body whether you are a model or not."

Milena Misic
Like most of her peers in the industry, Milena Misic began modelling when she was only 16 years old. However, she didn't really have to wait for her first rude shock. On her very first interview, the Serbian model - who at 177 cms height weighed only 55 kilos - was asked to lose weight. "I wasn't expecting that reaction primarily because my body type would automatically qualify as something between skinny and normal. They wanted me to lose weight from the hips, but my body structure is such that even if I did lose weight, it wouldn't show on my hips. That market, I realised, requires something more than what I am. A reason why I decided to move to the Middle East and now I can comfortably say that I love my job."
Surely, there's good reason too. The casting process in Dubai, she says, are not as strict as they often tend to be in Europe. "First of all, clients already pre-select models who fit their standards. So, essentially only shortlisted models go for castings. At the casting stage, you are not solely judged by your measurements. The designer and the team see how a dress looks on you. If it doesn't fit you the way a designer envisions it, you won't be selected." In fact, in the Middle Eastern market, there have been times when she has been viewed as too skinny.
Milena says she does not keep an absolutely strict watch on her diet, but makes up for it with an intense workout. The recent decision by France to ban super skinny models is something that makes perfect sense to her because it brings attention on women's bodies and health and encourages models to take care of themselves and seek medical assistance for conditions such as anorexia and bulimia. "As far as France's decision is concerned, I do not think brands or designers should have a problem because it's just about producing a paper that proves that a model is healthy. Having said that, one cannot deny that there are some brands that have very strict standards when it comes to size, and they are usually keen on hiring super skinny models."
Fashion, Milena says, is aspirational. A reason why a certain body type will forever be preferred over the rest. "As long as it does not impact your mental, emotional or physical health, I guess it's alright."