Meredith

Will all editions of Vogue, worldwide, be using fuller-figured models from now on?

So goes the claim in the following news article.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/lif...6-1226346828885

The story comes with a photo:



No, this is not a contingent of Vogue's new models. Rather, these are the editors of the worldwide editions of Vogue, with Anna Wintour in the centre, Franca Sozzani (whose magazine has been the most pro-curvy, thus far), to the left, and British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman in red (who once put plus-size model Sara Morrison in her magazine's pages, too many years ago) to the right.

The pertinent points in the article are as follows:


This sounds incredible, doesn't it? All of the world's Vogue editors joining together to ban the use of underweight models.

Could this mean that the fashion industry is finally changing? Will it stop promoting anorexia?

A little skepticism is in order, I think.

While the principle of the move is excellent, consider the next portion of the article:


Unfortunately, those guidelines have had no appreciable effect on the size of the models who walk in runway shows, who appear to be as emaciated as ever.

One can only hope that these new Vogue print guidelines will have a more demonstrable effect in print than they've had on the runway. Otherwise, I foresee that we'll be comparing past and present issues of Vogue and saying, "Where's the difference?"

The article includes an acknowledgment of the profound impact that models have in shaping women's body image:


And Conde Nast, taking pains to say the right things, acknowledges this.


Well, at least they are now admitting to their significant influence on society, which is an issue around which they've tiptoed in the past.

Is this a portent of real change in the fashion industry? Or is Conde Nast merely paying lip service to the issue of body image, and now, having made this very public gesture in order to give itself cover, will it merely continue using underweight models?

Will we be seeing more plus-size models in Vogue? And even if we do, will it matter -- that is, will those models be truly full-figured (U.S. size 16 and up), in which case this would be a genuine change for the better? Or will the models simply be faux-plus girls, and thus look identical to the usual waifs?

One wants to give this initiative the benefit of the doubt, but past disappointments warrant skepticism. We will simply have to wait and see.

Pamela

Commendably, Tyra Banks has published an "open letter" to Vogue applauding the organization for its decision. To her credit, Tyra has more credibility on this issue than many people in the fashion industry go, given that she has at least attempted to include a few plus-size models in her America's Next Top Model program, and more significantly, that she crowned Whitney Thompson as the first plus-size winner of the show, in Cycle 10.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...f-anorexia.html

Tyra makes a good point as to why this is significant:


Tyra goes on to explain how the fashion industry has much gotten worse, on the issue of size, since the time that she was modelling.

I'd like to hope that this Vogue move will push it back in a more positive direction, but like others, I'm very skeptical until I see some actual change. In the meantime, Tyra's letter shines a spotlight on this so-called commitment by the magazine, which will (one would hope) make it harder for Vogue to weasel out of it, if it should choose to try to do so.