How fashion is getting tired of body-positive and returning to lean heroin chic

One might want to believe the advent of models of all body shapes on the runways, given the success of certain plus-size shirts, such as Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Precious Lee, or even Jill Kortleve. However, they were surely only the exceptions who upheld the strongly recommended rule of thinness to be successful on the runways. Like the #BodyPositive guarantees, they have made it possible to appease the growing demands of the general public for greater representation at the top of fashion. Because, alongside them, what in the United States is nicknamed size 0, XS or French 34 continued to reign.

Fashion has tried to say goodbye to the reign of size zero

However, one important element suggested that we were heading in the right direction: the most powerful luxury groups in the world, LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Celine, Givenchy) and Kering (Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta ) have co-signed a charter to improve working conditions and better protect the well-being and health of models.

This paper from LVMH & Kering sets out in particular that children under 16 cannot be hired, that models must be larger than a size 32, and have a medical certificate attesting to good health. As it emanates from industry heavyweights, this charter could have had the effect of aligning practices towards best. Only that few means would be put in place to verify that it is actually applied, as the French association for the defense of Model Law explained to us.

The Y2K fashion trend, fertile ground for a return to the heroin chic aesthetic

Other worrying signs are multiplying since the West has been deconfined and physical parades have resumed. On the catwalks the renewed interest in the trends of the 2000s (#Y2K) invites the use of models with the silhouette in vogue in those years, i.e. very thin, to make you want to go back to wearing microskirts, waist trousers ultra low cut and butterfly crop top. We also think of Kim Kardashian who talks about her diet to lose more than 7 kg in order to fit into the famous Marilyn Monroe dress for the 2021 Met Gala. show a slimmer silhouette.

On TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, many fashionistas and celebrities are noticing a return to aesthetics.” heroin chic from the 90s: exaltation of the thinness permitted and/or maintained by the use of drugs. Kate Moss, for example, was one of the involuntary figures, especially after the tabloid Daily mirror he posted it while snorting cocaine in 2005. Some even trade advice on diverting diabetes medications to use for weight loss (#Ozempic on TikTok in particular), while pro-anas is regaining popularity behind a hashtag like # thinspiration.

Slim models reign en masse on the catwalks again, beauty enhancements voluntarily accentuate dark circles or create rivers of tears in kohl or sequins. Which is also reminiscent of a very popular series such as Euphoriawhere drugs and good clothes go hand in hand, while the soft emo grunge aesthetic so dear to tumblr is making a strong comeback even among some of the young nihilists.

While the 2023 Met Ball will pay homage to Karl Lagerfeld, a notorious fatphobe, several media outlets therefore agree that wobbly silhouettes are well on their way to becoming the dominant beauty canon again, after a few years of reign of the BBL look (per Brazilian Butt Lift ), Kardashian style. This is what allows the New York Post to the title ” Goodbye loot: heroin chic is back “.

A handful of plus-size models on bail bodypositive

The media especially gives for example the highlighting of ravenous starry silhouettes from the runway shows, such as Bella Hadid at the Coperni show. Note that the brand wanted this collection to be an ode to ” Every women according to her intent note, of course, but it was far from visible on her runway where tops rarely exceeded size 44. Overall, on the latter Fashion Week spring-summer 2023, of the 327 brands featured on the official calendars, only 30 (9%) models were larger than an American size 20 (or 48 in France).

Indeed, even the size 44, the reference figure from which we speak of a model big size it doesn’t always correspond to the reality of the rare tops that break into this niche. Indeed, as pointed out by a professional in the sector al Keeperit often happens that, for plus size clothing photo shoots, the chosen models are too thin (because they are 40-42, which is enough to be considered a model curve) and that we use padding to give the change.

Further proof, if needed, that stopping by fashion showcases such as fashion shows, ad campaigns, and magazine editorials don’t necessarily reflect a profound change in the industry. This is all the difference between facade diversity — where it’s easy to play with representations and proclaim yourself #bodypositive — and real efforts at inclusion, visible in the sizes actually present on eshops and above all in physical stores. In short, slimness and diet culture never disappeared, they were just badly hidden behind the slim thick or BBL aesthetic, as summarized Nora Bouazzouni the cooking and society journalist in an illuminating thread :

“No standard of beauty will emancipate us; this is the very principle of the standard. He imprisons. It hurts. Our bodies are not standard. They shouldn’t be erected as such, nor rewarded with a pat on the head, a job, or likes because they fit the current norm or were made to match TCA, squat, or scalpel. »

Front page photo source: Blumarine