In the early moments of the riveting TV documentary series “Signe Chanel“, a Chanel seamstress measures a potential model with cool, French nonchalance. She measures all of her contours, rattling off the numbers to a nearby assistant. After running down her stats, she takes a step back and says simply, “She’s perfect.” It’s an eerie moment, in which the dream machine of haute couture begins churning. All the beautiful illusions of the high fashion world start at an unrealistic set of standards imposed upon the female form. Yet…we do not turn away, because the dresses are just that damn beautiful.
Well, the fashion world has done it to us (the normal female) again! Karl Lagerfeld, the creative supergenius behind the Chanel brand, recently slammed the German women’s magazine Brigette for their choice to use “ordinary, realistic” models in their future fashion shoots. His words exactly:
“These are fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly.”
He also added that haute couture’s main preoccupation was “with dreams and illusions, and no one wants to see round women”.
That’s kind of funny, because I can think of many “well-rounded” women who look beautiful in high fashion clothing. Catherine Zeta Jones, Beyonce, Kate Winslet, Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Monica Bellucci, Sophia Loren (then AND now!).
I don’t take exception to his idea that “round women” don’t mesh well with the dreamy fashion world. I take exception to calling us outspoken ones “fat mummies”! Lagerfeld (who is openly gay) can only see the female world as divided into his mannequins and to chubby potato chip-eating complainers. Plenty of healthy women who think the size zero phenomenon is sick AREN’T potato chip couch surfers. I’m sure without much prodding you can find outspoken athletes, female politicians, philosophers and feminists, who aren’t “fat mummies”. Let us never forget that recently two supermodels wasted away to nothing and died of anorexia.
This raises a rather dicey question. Do the gay men controlling the fashion world also control the messaging about *our* bodies – and is it wrong, considering gay men aren’t really interested in our bodies in the first place?
Debate it out in the comments!
Comments
karen
October 13th, 2009 - 12:29:03 PM
whether it's gay men or straight men, the problem is the same: it's men controlling the conversation on how women should look, and it's disgusting. no more. as you said, there are plenty of beautiful women who aren't size zero. starting with your list, I'd also add Christina Hendricks and Jennifer Lopez, but there are plenty more. especially outside the world of celebrity -- which does it best to keep larger women out of the picture. really though, it's too bad that such an 'artist' and 'genius' like Lagerfield is too narrow-minded and dense to see the world of beauty surrounding him -- outside of his pencil thin models, that is.
Amanda Pendolino
October 13th, 2009 - 12:49:39 PM
that photograph is disgusting.
Kat Ahn
October 13th, 2009 - 12:51:13 PM
Agreed. Girl needs a sandwich.
George
October 13th, 2009 - 11:02:40 PM
Karl Lagerfeld is right. I'm a straight male who happens to be in the fashion industry, who also happens to know (and dated) quite a few models. For the most part these are normal, healthy women. I can tell you that some of them have enormous appetites! Designers have every right to present their collections using models who will wear the clothing best. Women with leaner frames simply look better on a runway. The same goes for print ads. In Karl's defense, I believe his statement was a reaction to being verbally attacked by an angry militant fat girls club who should really mind their own damned business.
Kelly Turner
October 14th, 2009 - 5:18:36 AM
George- i know designers use super thin models because they view them as hangers, so the body does not upstage the clothing- which is fine. Jockies have to be small to do their job- whatever, use who ever you want, but how about not alientating and offending the very people you are trying to sell the clothing to? And, again, who is a man, gay or straight, to tell us how we should look? The last thing women need is to be told yet again we will never be good enough, because I know for my health, I will NEVER be as thin as a runway model. I would probably lose my period due to lack of body fat, my bones would eat themselves, I would suffer a heart attack and die. Or end up in jail, cause I get angry when Im hungry. What if women waged a war against the way men look- only the impossibly muscular are attractive. No fat, giant bulging muscles are the only thing we now find attractive, so any guy that is too thin or has a little extra pounds is going to be publically ridiculed by the media, strangers on the street and their loved ones who are offering "constructive cirticism", either that or picked apart or ignored. Sound like no big deal? Probably, because as of right now, men have no frame of reference as to what it feels like to be told, now literally thanks to Karl, that you are fat and and disgusting day in and day out. As for the appetite- there is such a thing as bulimia
Nikki
October 14th, 2009 - 9:05:23 AM
George, excuse me but your lame response is a pathetic compensation for Mr. Lagerfeld's claims. Are we allowed to curse here? I'd rather not take the chance. Luckily, many of you have caught on to the major problem here. It is men, gay and straight, or are psychologically forcing the ideal feminine image. All these statements that keep falling out of this idiot's mouth are s--- to me. He is not my King, nor my role model, nor an iconic figure in my mind. I think no more of this Karl Lagerfeld than the mugger on the subway. Is clothing beautiful? Yes. But what the fashion world has become is truly, truly, truly... sickening. Think of the international wars going on now, the starving impoverished nations of Africa, violent dictators who are world leaders... then look at the fashion world. A pathetic excuse for mankind. It has done nothing for you, and it never will...
Jean Marie
October 21st, 2009 - 12:16:33 AM
George: Most models are not healthy! If they are they would fal within the weight guidelines. When the height charts say a 5'10 women should weigh between 145-170 and the modeling profession ( Lauren) fires a size 4 model at 125, their standards are not healthy. In the 1980's Cindy Crawford was a healthy size6/8.
Anne
October 25th, 2009 - 4:37:05 PM
Oh Georgey, it's my damn business all right. You're trying to define what over half the population should look like in your fantasy-world and we aren't going to put up with the toothpick-thin nonsense people like you keep pushing any more. Real women can have curves. Real women can have large frames. Real women can have padding in places that are inconvenient for your silly and simplistic designs. Do yourself a favor and date outside of your industry a few times.
babs
October 26th, 2009 - 12:51:44 PM
After looking at her, I just ate TWO bags of chips! Just the thought of looking like that makes me want to eat two more :) Good grief Charlie Brown, if that ain't a talking skeleton then I don't know what is!
Nora
October 29th, 2009 - 1:07:51 PM
Maybe it is the city mentality. When I lived in San Francisco, I always felt that the norm was to be thin and that was what was appreciated, while curves and being fit are always looked at nicer in beach cities. If you look at a lot of the bikini images from the 80/90s the women were healthy and curvy women. I feel pre pubescent boy look is getting over done in the model world. Yet, I have fallen to desiring that look due to seeing it all the time during my 20s.. I do feel being "round" and fertile is almost the anti-west look these days. Basically starving women in Africa would be comparable to models of today.
mistress of munchies
October 29th, 2009 - 7:56:16 PM
no. you are wrong. models are SAPPOSED to be skinny and tall. that doesnt mean the people who buy the clothes have to be, duh, they just think so cuz they're stupid people like you whoever wrote this artice. models get paid to walk and pose, its not so hard, ive done it before and so they have to limit themselves with certain little "requirements" one of them happens to be thinness and tallness so that the clothes can be portrayed as the designer wishes. if the designer is doing something specifically for people who are not twigs, thats great, they wont hire twig models. basicly people should not be pressured to be anorexic because of models...thats just dumb. models are models. thats not what normal people look like. and thats NOT what designers are saying normal people are sapposed to look like. at least not sane designers (which, i have found, and becoming more scarce as i speak) im not saying your argument has no legitimacy, of course it does. people do starve themselves to be skinny, but those people have problems of their own to figure out that are typically (nearly always) based on their mindsets and emotional situations, and not "the pressures of the media" which they nearly always blame it on. in fact, nowadays all i hear is the media encouraging people to be fat just because people think anyone who is skinny is anorexic. no. thats just ignorant and also hurts people who are naturally skinny. point of story: models are meant to be skinny unless they are plus size models and if you dont really know what youre talking about or you just arent very smart, you probably shouldnt write an article.
Kelly Turner
October 29th, 2009 - 8:19:40 PM
mistress- if you say her argument has legitimacy, there is absolutely no reason to call the author stupid. Its classless.
mistress of munchies
October 29th, 2009 - 8:23:11 PM
miley cyrus is stupid, but if she says "the sky is blue" that is a legitimate statement, does that give her the right to write an article? no. i didnt think so.
Beyonce
October 29th, 2009 - 8:31:21 PM
Woah! Hold on sista! You calling me "round," bitch. No one calls me fat and gets way wit it. Ima kick yo' ass, scank slut whore.
mistress of munchies
October 29th, 2009 - 8:32:52 PM
DAHAHAHA
Decent Person
October 29th, 2009 - 8:41:11 PM
"Let us never forget that recently two supermodels wasted away to nothing and died of anorexia." Wanna know the irony in this statement? Modeling and the clothing industry have made women feel insecure causing anorexia and now they feel the need to induce pity into our hearts for a problem they began in order to instill in us a change of heart. Wanna know what I think? Its just cloths. Sorry, but I'm more concerned with the decency of humanity then with what they are wearing.
tracy sane
January 10th, 2010 - 9:14:24 PM
if i wanted to watch anorexic porn, i would, but i don't. check out the V SIZE ISSUE. when a guy is attracted to a woman, he's attracted to what makes them different. lagerfeld, you're a sad fuck.