Saturday 20 August 2011

The Models of the Future: Unobtainable or Representing?

Hello lovelies! Right before I start this blog post I feel the need to state that the subject is a rather touchy one, I do not intend to offend but I do blabber on and on (hence why I started a blog) and sometimes the key points can be misconstrued! 
So there are two brand spanking new models hitting the catwalks at the moment, Lea T (pictured below) and Andrej Pejic (pictured above). They model womenswear, however they were not born women. I think that this is amazing news for the transgender (if I am using the correct terminology, if not please correct me) people of the world. However this puts a big ass question mark over the fashion industry... Should women have the physic of a slim and feminine male? 
This concept of unobtainable beauty started when models began getting younger and younger, for example Thylane Lena-Rose Blondeau, the ten year old model featured in Vogue, and therefore had less of that thing I like to call hips and bust. It simply cannot be argued that 10-14 year old girls have not yet reached the peek of puberty and therefore look like girls, not women. 
Through my FDA degree the importance of understanding the customer has been continuously raised, so how does the luxury fashion designer industry condemn using teens, who the majority of cannot afford a £2,000 jumper, and transgender models to advertise their garments. I don't know any transgender people, however I am aware that they are in a minority, therefore it would be assumed that they can not ALL afford these luxury items either. 
So my rather long winded point here I guess is that when men and women alike turn to fashion for their inspiration for appearance, why are they demonstrating these unobtainable figures. A little food for thought I guess... 

 whilst on the topic of food, Crystal Renn, the (former) plus size model (see pictures above and below), who always looks fab anyway has slimmed down! Now I don't feel that plus size models have a more obtainable figure than that of size 8/6 models, however there is always a part of me that becomes saddened when i find another plus sized model who is now just a regular run of the mill model. (she still looks amazing though!)


Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and i doubt models are forced to work, they enjoy it, so they should be doing it, regardless of age, gender or weight. But, unlike films, when you know what happens isn't the norm, the fashion industry is the aspiration for many girls, boys, men and women and these designers need to be aware of this. Film happy endings are just as unreliable as the figures on the catwalk, are they realistic? are they true? are they obtainable?
 Its a shame that fashion isn't about representing and presenting yourself but the models in which the fashion designers display their art on. 
H. x

2 comments:

  1. what a read i feel so much more educated! for someone who doesnt follow fashion and throws on what ever in the morning. it was sincerly enlightening reading your blog. keep up the good work!
    L M x

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